​Alex Freeman family tree: Meet NFL dad, sister and more about USMNT star’s athletic roots originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.At the 2026 World Cup, USMNT defender Alex Freeman has made quite a name for himself. In his country’s second group-stage match against Australia, Freeman scored his first-ever World Cup goal.After Freeman’s stepsister, Diamond Spaulding, commented on a TikTok video that her brother (#16) was on the team, many users flocked to the Freeman fandom bandwagon and showed their support for “Diamond’s little brother.”With the U.S. set to begin its 2026 knockout stage against Bosnia and Herzegovina, even more eyeballs will be on Freeman and his USMNT teammates.Here’s the rundown on Freeman’s family and the plethora of athletic prowess present.2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup ticketsAlex Freeman dad: Antonio FreemanFreeman’s father is former NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman. While the father-son duo has two different definitions of football, Freeman has supported his son throughout his career. When the defender made his professional soccer debut with Orlando City SC, Alex scored his first-ever goal.Here is Freeman celebrating his son’s back-of-the-net effort:View this post on InstagramA post shared by End Zone with Antonio Freeman (@endzonewithfree)During his own time as an athlete, Antonio was a prominent wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. He was taken with the 90th overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, and remained on the Packers for eight of his nine seasons (Philadelphia Eagles: 2002).In a 2025 interview with The Athletic, the USMNT player opened up about how being a soccer player gives him more breathing room on his own path.“It’s kind of good to create my own story,” Freeman said, per The Athletic. “To be able to maybe step away from the fact that my dad was a professional football player and just try to create my own narrative.”Antonio Freeman NFL careerAfter being drafted in 1995, Freeman joined the Brett Favre-led Packers. Alex’s father was on both of Green Bay’s Super Bowl appearances in 1997 and 1998, and was able to lift the Super Bowl 31 trophy.Across nine seasons in the NFL, Freeman played in 132 games while pulling in 477 receptions for 7,251 yards and 61 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.Here is one of Freeman’s best plays during his NFL career:”He did WHAT?”This Antonio Freeman game-winner is still one of the wildest catches of all time.18 years ago today. (Nov. 6, 2000) @BrettFavre@afreeman86#TDIHpic.twitter.com/KD2V48uwro— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) November 6, 2018MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:Printable World Cup bracketExpert World Cup Round of 32 predictions3 sleepers to watch in World Cup knockoutsBest teams out of the World Cup knockoutsAlex Freeman mom: Rochelle HinkleRochelle Hinkle gave birth to her son, Alex, with her husband, Antonio, by her side. Whi