Alex Freeman’s meteoric rise from MLS NEXT Pro prospect to breakout star with Orlando City and the United States men's national team was one of the biggest stories of the 2025 MLS season.
His remarkable ascent reached new heights on Thursday, with Orlando announcing they've transferred the 21-year-old homegrown defender to LaLiga side Villarreal for reportedly up to $7 million.
To put it in perspective: Freeman has joined a UEFA Champions League team that competes in one of the world’s top leagues just 11 months after making his first MLS start.
Here’s how he did it.
In February 2022, the then-17-year-old became the 12th homegrown signing in Orlando history after helping the Lions’ U-17s win the MLS NEXT Cup U-17 Championship in 2021.
Freeman spent the next three seasons with Orlando’s MLS NEXT Pro side, making three brief substitute appearances for the first team from 2023-24.
With exactly 10 minutes of MLS action under his belt, Freeman cracked into Orlando’s starting XI for the first time on Matchday 2 of the 2025 season.
He seized his moment immediately, scoring the hosts' second goal in a 4-2 win over Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium.
By late April, Freeman was not only a written-in-pen starter at right back for Orlando, but arguably the best player at his position in MLS.
“I think there is no right back in this country like Alex right now,” Lions head coach Oscar Pareja said after Freeman scored in a 3-0 rout of Atlanta United.
“Don’t tell anyone [laughs].”
Pareja’s words quickly proved prophetic. A month later, USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino gave Freeman his first senior call-up for a pair of June friendlies ahead of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
After an impressive 90-minute shift against Türkiye, the right back clinched the starting job for the regional tournament.
He appeared in every Gold Cup match and significantly raised his national team stock, becoming the first player age 20 or younger to start six consecutive games for the USMNT at the Gold Cup.
Freeman’s sensational form for club and country was rewarded with a 2025 MLS All-Star selection, the right back securing his spot among the league’s elite players via fan vote.
Freeman continued to deliver during the second half of the season, eventually tallying nine goal contributions (6g/3a) in 29 games. His six goals were tied for second among MLS defenders, and his 42 key passes were fourth-most.
These numbers propelled him to the 2025 MLS Young Player of the Year Award, as he beat out Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna and Seattle Sounders FC’s Obed Vargas for the distinction.
More recognitions followed for Freeman, who in November became the first player in Orlando City history selected to the MLS Best XI.
The league’s top right back of 2025 wasn’t just an offensive powerhouse. An elite-level defender, Freeman led the Lions in aerial duels (110) and finished fourth in clearances (19).
Freeman capped his breakout 2025 with a man-of-the-match performance for the USMNT, scoring his first two international goals in a historic 5-1 blowout of South American powerhouse Uruguay.
“We showed the world what we can do,” Freeman said after his brilliant showing that further boosted his chances of making the final 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
With Freeman now Europe-bound, those chances seem all but locked.
