Antonio Freeman Becomes Famous Soccer Dad During World Cup
Former Packers All-Pro Wide Receiver led the NFL in receiving yards in 1998 and caught three touchdown passes in Super Bowls. His son Alex was one of the standouts for Team USA in the 2026 World Cup.
As both a Green Bay Packers fan and U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team fan, one of the highlights of watching the 2026 World Cup was the play of 21-year-old defender Alex Freeman.
Freeman scored a goal in Team USA’s second match of the tournament against Australia.
His score in Seattle evoked memories of his father Antonio Freeman scoring twice in Seattle in a 1996 win over the Seahawks.
The Father & Son duo of Packers WR Antonio Freeman, and USMNT Alex Freeman both have scored in Seattle pic.twitter.com/Ux98rD4bLb
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 21, 2026
Alex, who starred for Orlando City FC of the MLS and now plays for Villareal in Spain, should be a name we see for Team USA in the future, and likely in the next World Cup in 2030.
The tournament also gave some attention to Freeman’s dad, former Packers All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Freeman.
Some pregame reading about the son of former Packers WR @afreeman86 just before he makes his USMNT World Cup debut. https://t.co/G7MYfzzKkp
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) June 13, 2026
Antonio, who has been retired since the end of 2003 season, was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2009; as he was a key remember of the two Packers Super Bowl teams of 1996 and 1997.
In the last 35 years the Packers have had their share of great wide receivers, and for some reason Freeman is one of the most forgotten standout players from years past.
Packers wide receivers to be Pro Bowlers or All Pro in the last 35 years includes: Sterling Sharpe, Freeman, Donald Driver, Javon Walker, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
Sharpe, Freeman and Adams were the only ones to be first-team All Pro. Sharpe and Freeman are the only two to have led the NFL in yards receiving in a season.
Packers Most Yards Receiving in a Season since 1992, *Led NFL
| Year | Player | Rec. | Yards | TDs |
| 2021 | Davante Adams | 123 | 1553 | 11 |
| 2014 | Jordy Nelson | 98 | 1519 | 13 |
| 1995 | Robert Brooks | 102 | 1497 | 13 |
| 1992 | Sterling Sharpe | 108* | 1461* | 13* |
| 1998 | Antonio Freeman | 84 | 1424* | 14 |
| 2018 | Davante Adams | 111 | 1386 | 13 |
| 2004 | Javon Walker | 89 | 1382 | 12 |
| 2020 | Davante Adams | 115 | 1374 | 18* |
| 2013 | Jordy Nelson | 85 | 1314 | 8 |
| 2006 | Donald Driver | 92 | 1295 | 8 |
| 2008 | Greg Jennings | 80 | 1292 | 9 |
| 2014 | Randall Cobb | 91 | 1287 | 12 |
| 1993 | Sterling Sharpe | 112* | 1274 | 11 |
| 2010 | Greg Jennings | 86 | 1265 | 12 |
| 2011 | Jordy Nelson | 68 | 1263 | 15 |
| 2016 | Jordy Nelson | 97 | 1257 | 14* |
| 1997 | Antonio Freeman | 81 | 1243 | 12 |
| 2005 | Donald Driver | 86 | 1221 | 5 |
| 2004 | Donald Driver | 84 | 1208 | 9 |
| 1994 | Sterling Sharpe | 94 | 1119 | 18* |
Freeman had three-straight 1,000 yard receiving seasons from 1997 to 1999. He also was one of the team’s best performers in the playoffs during the Brett Favre era.
He finished with 10 career-receiving touchdowns in the playoffs, which included a streak of five straight games starting with the 1997 NFC Championship through the 2001 NFC Divisional Playoff loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Alex Freeman and his dad, Super Bowl champ Antonio Freeman, are quite the father-son duo.
Tom Rinaldi brings us the story of the @USMNT star’s journey and how his father's support had a lasting impact on his success 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TYUjde8YfT
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 26, 2026
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Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch
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