Alex Freeman ends Villarreal’s eight-year World Cup goal drought with United States strike | OneFootball

Alex Freeman has entered Villarreal’s World Cup history after scoring the United States’ second in a 2-0 win over Australia at the 2026 finals. El Periódico Mediterráneo notes that it ended an eight-year wait for a Villarreal player to score at the tournament.

The right-back struck before the break, his finish upheld after a VAR review, to put the United States in control. For Villarreal, it restored visibility on the game’s biggest international stage.

Freeman joins a select group of the club’s World Cup scorers. A present and future option at right-back, he again showed his knack for arriving at the far post and finishing from defensive starting positions.

The previous Villarreal World Cup goal belonged to Denis Cheryshev in 2018. Elevated from the bench after Dzagoev’s injury in the opener against Saudi Arabia, he struck twice in a 5-0 win and then scored again against Egypt.

His long-range left-footed effort versus Croatia in the quarter-finals became an enduring image, although Russia went out on penalties. Cheryshev finished with four goals, level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Romelu Lukaku.

That tournament also featured Antonio Rukavina, Carlos Bacca, Salem Al Dawsari and Alfred N’Diaye, with Al Dawsari scoring in added time against Egypt for Saudi Arabia.

Eight years on, the baton passes to Freeman, whose breakthrough strengthens his case for an important role under Iñigo Pérez. He leaves this match with a starting berth, international prominence and a goal that will resonate at Villarreal.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo