Growing up, science might have been the assumed path for Matt Freese if just looking at his family background. The New York City FC goalkeeper grew up in a family of pioneering scientists and academics; his father was a neurosurgeon, his paternal grandparents were researchers at the National Institutes of Health, his sister holds a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But Matt chose a different path anyway.
That decision created some tension within his family, particularly with his father. But it shaped the person who is now the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2026 World Cup. Below, get to know Matt Freese’s family:
Matt’s father, Dr. Andrew Freese
Andrew Freese was a neurosurgeon and gene therapy pioneer who served as chief of neurosurgery and neurological medical director at Brandywine Hospital. He earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology from MIT, where he was advised by the founder of Moderna, and went on to conduct groundbreaking research in mRNA technology years before it became central to the COVID-19 vaccine effort. He performed the first successful gene therapy surgery to treat a neurological disorder and helped a child with Canavan disease—a rare brain-deteriorating condition—become the longest-living person diagnosed with it. “All of the patients that were treated showed improvement, which is already something incredible and exceptional when it comes to a disease that has no hope,” said Dr. Paola Leone, a professor at Rowan University, told Philadelphia radio broadcaster WHYY. “There’s not one day that I don’t think of the things he said, the recommendation he gave me. And that’s not just for me, but also for the families that he met—he was a giver.”
Andrew himself came from a family of scientists and held deep convictions about useful work and social contribution. When Matt, his youngest son, left Harvard after two semesters to sign with the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer, he had serious reservations. “I don’t think he saw a great social altruism in professional sports,” Matt told ESPN. “He thought that it was potentially a selfish career.” Matt had previously chosen Harvard partly as a compromise. “It was me trying to strike the balance of making my father proud and adhering to his suggestions and encouragement as well as respecting his wishes.”
Andrew died of kidney failure in 2021 at the age of 61. “My father was an incredibly intelligent person,” Matt said. “A lot of his family, going back generations, were very established professors and scientists and doctors. The off-the-charts kind of intelligence. And my dad certainly had that brain. He was so talented, hard-working and caring. As a doctor he dedicated his life to helping others.”
After the pandemic, Harvard began offering online classes, and Matt was able to finish his degree in 2022. “He obviously came around,” Andrew’s sister Katherine told NBC News about supporting Matt’s soccer career. “Matt was better than anybody understood.”
Matt’s mother, Marcia Geary Wolicki
Matt’s mother, Marcia Geary Wolicki, has always been his biggest fan. Marcia holds an MBA in healthcare management and raised four children largely on her own after she and Andrew divorced when Matt was eight.
She was the one driving Matt to his high school for early morning training sessions and away matches, while managing the household for Matt and his three siblings. “At the time, you’re in that day-to-day. You’re just trying to get a meal on the table, get the homework done,” Marcia told ESPN. In the profile, which heavily focused on his relationship with his father, Matt was quick to highlight his mother’s role in his life.
“A lot of stuff is about my dad,” Matt said. “I really owe so much of it to her. I would not want her to not get those words about her because of the more optically pleasing story about my dad and his passing.”
Matt’s paternal grandparents, Ernst and Elisabeth Freese
Matt’s grandparents on his father’s side emigrated from Germany to the United States after World War II and joined the National Institutes of Health. Ernst Freese was a molecular biologist whose research into DNA mutations laid foundational groundwork for understanding evolution, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
“He discovered how gene mutations work,” Ernst’s daughter and Matt’s aunt, Dr. Katherine Freese, told NBC News. “Which is like the foundation of evolution, for God’s sake.” Katherine herself became an astrophysicist at the University of Texas, where she focuses on dark matter and questions about the origins and composition of the early universe. When Matt told his family he wanted to be a professional soccer player, the reaction was skeptical. “I remember my uncle saying, ‘Poor Matt is going to end up sitting on the bench his whole life,’” Katherine recalled. “‘Oh no, it’ll never work!’”
Matt’s paternal grandfather, Jack Geary
On his mother’s side, Matt draws his athletic inheritance from his grandfather, Jack Geary, who was drafted by the NFL’s New York Bulldogs, a short-lived AFL team that played for one season in 1949. Geary was recruited as a tackle out of Wesleyan. A separated shoulder, unfortunately, ended his preseason.
But Matt chose to wear the No. 49 at NYC FC in his grandfather’s honor. Geary also had a career as an Air Force pilot. Matt’s mother has noted the resemblance between her son and her father: “the athleticism, the natural leadership, the love of clothes.” She also appreciates that the Bulldogs once practiced at the old Yankee Stadium, and that Matt now plays at the new one.
Matt’s four siblings
Matt is the youngest of four children, all born within six years of one another. His older brother Jack rowed heavyweight crew at Harvard. Tim, who is three years older than Matt, also graduated from Harvard and later earned a master’s degree from Cambridge. His sister Lyssa earned her Ph.D. from MIT like their father, and is now an assistant professor of earth system science at the University of California, Irvine. “He was just like a very funny kid,” Lyssa said of Matt to ESPN. “He knew how to see things, and learn from things that he’d seen, and how to make impressions. For being the youngest kid in the family, he was a pretty big leader.” Based on Matt’s Instagram feed, he also appears to be an uncle now.
Matt’s girlfriend, Kelsey Mentze
Matt and his girlfriend, Kelsey Mentzer, both keep a low profile on social media. The couple has reportedly been together since 2022. Although based on the few photos of the couple to Matt’s Instagram feed, the couple appear to travel together often.
Kelsey also generated buzz after she appeared in an Instagram story he shared after the U.S. win over Australia, in which he is seen with his arm around her, alongside what appeared to be other family members who had traveled to Seattle for the match.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at .