Get ready, soccer fans. The 2026 World Cup will begin in just over two weeks! And a Floridian will be playing on the largest stage in soccer.
The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) released its roster of players for the World Cup on Tuesday, May 26, and one of the players is the son of an NFL star who grew up in South Florida.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest in history. It will be a 104-match tournament featuring 48 teams across 16 host cities in three countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Miami, Florida, is one of the U.S. host cities, alongside Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and East Rutherford, New Jersey. The host cities in Mexico and Canada include Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Vancouver and Toronto.
Here’s when the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, when it ends, dates for the games in Miami, Florida, and the USMNT roster.
When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11 and conclude on July 19.
Who is playing in the World Cup for the U.S.? USMNT’s World Cup 2026 roster includes 1 Floridian
On May 26, the U.S. Men’s National Team released its 26-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There are three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, six midfielders and seven forwards on the roster, from hometowns all over the U.S. and the world. One of the 10 defenders, Alex Freeman, is from Florida. He is the only Floridian on the team.
“Thirteen players – half the roster – were part of the U.S. squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, tying the U.S. mark for the highest number of returnees between consecutive World Cups, first set between the 1994 and 1998 editions,” the USMNT website says.
Here are the players, their positions and their hometowns:
Who is Alex Freeman? USMNT World Cup 2026 player from Florida
Alex Freeman, 21, made his USMNT debut on June 7, 2025, vs. Turkiye (Turkey), starting at right back.
He was born in Baltimore, but his family moved to Plantation, Florida, just west of Fort Lauderdale, where he grew up. He attended American Heritage School’s Broward campus for high school before signing with Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC in 2022.
His father, Antonio Freeman, is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the Green Bay Packers. Most notably, he caught an 81-yard touchdown against New England in the 1997 Super Bowl, which the Packers won.
When will the FIFA World Cup 2026 be in Florida?
Miami is set to host seven matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Here are the dates:
Where can I watch the World Cup 2026?
In the United States, Fox holds the broadcasting rights for all 2026 FIFA World Cup games. Of the 104 matches in the World Cup, 70 will air on Fox’s broadcast channel, and the other 34 will air on FS1.
Since Fox holds the broadcasting rights for FIFA games in the U.S., streaming options are limited without live TV. But every match will be streamed live on Fox One and the Fox Sports App, and all matches will be broadcast in Spanish on Telemundo and streamed on Peacock.
Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Spanish with Peacock
Two games will stream on Tubi: Mexico vs. South Africa on Thursday, June 11, and the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) vs. Paraguay on Friday, June 12.
Contributing: Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: USMNT World Cup roster includes 1 Floridian, son of a former NFL star
Reporting by Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
