IRVINE, Calif. — It’s likely that goalkeeper Matt Freese will take the field as the starter for the U.S. in its World Cup opener on Friday against Paraguay. Freese has been Mauricio Pochettino’s go-to goalkeeper for a year, highlighted by a solid 90-minute outing in the final preparation match last weekend.
If the soft-spoken athlete from Pennsylvania steps onto the field at SoFi Stadium for the Group D debut, it will mark the first U.S. World Cup home match since 1994 and a remarkable milestone in his seven-year professional career, adding a distinguished chapter to his family’s legacy.
“I dream of this opportunity, you work for it, but you never know if it will actually arrive,” he said this week. “I learned about nine years ago that those who work diligently without the guarantee of reward are often the ones who find success.”
Participating in the World Cup would be the crowning achievement of a life dedicated to cultivating both intellect and athletic talent.
At 27, Freese studied economics and computer science at Harvard, turning professional after his sophomore year while continuing his education online to earn an economics degree in 2022. His studies even included research on penalty kicks, knowledge he applied effectively last summer when he saved three of Costa Rica’s attempts during a Gold Cup quarterfinal.
Freese is undoubtedly a bright individual but he is not the only highly educated member of his family.
His paternal grandparents, German immigrants, were researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the Washington, D.C. area.
His late father, Andrew, was a neurosurgeon who earned two degrees from Harvard and a doctorate from MIT. Notably, in 2001, he performed the first successful gene-therapy trial for a neurological disorder in humans. His mother, Marcia, holds degrees from Boston University and Tufts and is the founder of a medical management firm.
Freese’s aunt, Katherine, is a physics professor at the University of Texas, where she focuses on identifying dark matter and dark energy, as well as creating a successful model of the early universe post-Big Bang, as noted on the university’s website.
His older brother Jack, a former rower at Harvard, now works in private equity.
“There’s a lot of science and academia in my family,” Freese remarked. “Growing up was definitely interesting.”
In high school, Freese’s parents placed a strong emphasis on academics, employing soccer as an incentive to motivate him in the classroom.
At Harvard, he found that balancing academics with his soccer commitments occupied his time and served as a vital outlet off the field. “At that age, I really needed it,” he said. “I handle things differently now, but it was crucial back then.”
(John Dorton/USSF via Getty Images)
Currently, Freese’s focus is entirely on soccer. He joined the Philadelphia Union as a homegrown signing ahead of the 2019 Major League Soccer season and has started 13 matches across four years before being traded to New York City FC for the 2023 season. A year later, he became the team’s starting goalkeeper and one of the league’s rising stars in that position.
His first call-up to a national team camp came in January 2025. At that time, he was competing not only with Matt Turner, who started in the 2022 World Cup, but also various other contenders for the role. Freese was called up again by Pochettino prior to last summer’s Gold Cup, and after a debut in a friendly against Türkiye, it became his position to lose.
In the last year, Freese has started 15 out of 18 matches, with Turner filling in for the remaining three. Chris Brady, a 22-year-old from Chicago, is the third goalkeeper for the World Cup.
Freese will don No. 24, the same number worn by former U.S. World Cup star Tim Howard during his club career. In MLS, Freese wears No. 49 to honor his maternal grandfather, Jack Geary, who played for the New York Bulldogs in the American Football League. (In the World Cup, the highest available number is 26.)
“Howard has accomplished so much and contributed to his team’s successes in remarkable ways. I would love the chance to do the same,” Freese said. “He was someone I looked up to growing up, so wearing the same number as him at a World Cup is incredibly special.”
Freese could join a distinguished group of U.S. World Cup goalkeepers, including legends like Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, and Howard.
“I’ve admired that group of goalkeepers for much of my life – I still do,” he said. “It’s a privilege to be part of that legacy and aim to continue it.”
Freese and Turner, while competitors for the starting position, maintain a strong camaraderie.
“There’s a healthy mutual respect between us. No matter what the coach decides, we should respect that decision and support each other throughout,” Turner, starter for the New England Revolution, noted, acknowledging that he is currently experiencing a better MLS season from an analytical perspective.
Both players are well-regarded by their teammates.
“Matt Freese has emerged over the past year and a half, and it’s been satisfying to observe his progress,” commented midfielder Cristian Roldan. “Matt Turner may be stepping back, but he has been incredibly supportive of Freese, prioritizing the team’s needs. Kudos to them both. They are competing, but they want what’s best for the team.”
As the World Cup approaches, Freese remains committed to his routine. While traveling with the national team, he carries his kettle and prepares his favorite tea, organic loose-leaf chamomile, and packs his own alarm clock.
“I enjoy maintaining consistency, because if my small routines work, then the intensity of the game feels unchanged,” Freese shared. “It helps me manage those crucial moments under pressure.”
Without a doubt, he is about to encounter the most significant moment and immense pressure of his career.