News Focus
- Matt Freese is expected to start in goal for the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The 27-year-old made his international debut only one year ago, in June 2025
- He rejected a chance to join Manchester United as a teenager to study at Harvard University instead
- Freese graduated with an economics degree in 2022 while playing professional football
- He did not become a full-time goalkeeper until he was 16 years old
Matt Freese stands ready to guard the United States goal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Just twelve months ago, the shot-stopper had never played for his country. Now, the New York City FC player is set to be Mauricio Pochettino’s number one choice between the posts.
The 27-year-old’s journey to football’s biggest stage is far from typical. Born to a famous brain surgeon and a hospital executive, Freese grew up in a home that valued schoolwork above sport. Despite this, he turned down an offer from Manchester United as a young man. He chose to attend Harvard University instead. He finished his economics degree in 2022.
Freese explained that sport gave him a clear way to compete. He enjoys the simple nature of winning and losing. This competitive spirit drove him toward athletics, even when his family focused on academic success.
As a child, Freese tried many sports. He was best at lacrosse. However, his true love was always football. He decided to become a goalkeeper after watching a neighbour play the position for a local high school team in South Carolina. He was only eight years old at the time. He did not play in goal in a real match until he was eleven. He did not specialise as a keeper until he was sixteen or seventeen. This is very late for a future World Cup player.
Freese believes this late start helped him. He never felt tired of the sport. His love for football actually grew stronger when he reached nineteen or twenty years old.
The keeper also played other sports growing up. He believes this helped him develop many physical skills. He says the position needs hand-eye coordination, speed, strength, and quick thinking.
Freese moved house many times as a child. His family finally settled in Philadelphia when he was ten. There, he fell in love with local teams like the Eagles and the 76ers. He also supported the Philadelphia Union. His mother took him to their first ever match. However, the club rejected him from their youth programme when he was twelve. He was playing other sports at the time and was overweight. He worked hard and later earned a place in their academy.
As a teenager, he trained with Liverpool and Manchester United in England. He admits he did not understand how big this was at the time. He played without fear. Manchester United wanted to sign him, but his parents wanted him to go to university. He kept his promise to try one year at Harvard. After that, he decided to turn professional.
Freese wanted to play for the US Olympic team in 2020. He knew he had to leave college to get picked. Playing for a struggling Harvard team would not help his chances. He turned professional but continued his studies. He graduated in 2022.
He says studying helped his football career. During his first professional year, he suffered many injuries. He felt unprepared for the long season. When he returned to classes, he found balance. The schoolwork gave him a routine and took pressure off his shoulders. He believes learning keeps the brain sharp and helps him learn new football systems quickly.
Freese did a university project about penalty kicks, though he refuses to discuss his methods. He says he still has many shoot-outs left in his career.
His father’s parents came from Germany, but he never met them. His older brother introduced him to football. They played together in the garden. Freese says his brother was his first goalkeeping coach.
At New York City FC, he wears shirt number 49. This honours his mother’s father, who was an American Football player and Air Force pilot. He cannot wear this number at the World Cup because the rules only allow numbers up to 26.
His nickname is “Matty Ice,” given because he comes from the same area as American football star Matt Ryan. However, his brother calls him “Booger,” a name from when he was six years old.
Freese only made his national team debut in June 2025. He says he lives by a quote from basketball executive Daryl Morey: “Opportunity is not a l