MLS has always been a stage for great prospects and precocious debuts. The most significant story in this respect is certainly Freddy Adu’s, who became legendary above all among those who played football management games: he made his debut at 14 and was supposed to become the future star of the United States national team, but failed to live up to the expectations placed on him. American football is now living through another similar story, sinisterly similar, some might think: Cavan Sullivan, who took Adu’s record as the youngest debutant in league history, at 14 years and 293 days, and has continued to surprise ever since. There are several reasons to think that, in Sullivan’s case, things could go differently. For one, City Football Group, which has made a speciality of developing young players around the world, has already secured the Philadelphia Union talent. The fact that the group also includes Girona, Palermo, Troyes, Bahia and New York City should, in some way, give Sullivan a path that is steady rather than rushed, depending on how he develops.
The point, though, is that Sullivan keeps burning through the milestones: as reported by the Guardian, the American forward is now set to receive his first call-up to the senior national team. Mauricio Pochettino appears genuinely convinced that he should include him in the squad for the upcoming internationals against Chile, Peru, Mexico and Canada between the end of September and the beginning of October. And this would not simply be a “media” decision: Sullivan’s performances since the MLS resumed after the World Cup played this summer more than justify his inclusion. Since the end of July, he has scored six goals and provided eight assists. The Argentine coach had already spoken about Sullivan a few weeks ago, but for a very different reason. In a podcast interview, the young attacking winger had said that he could have been useful to the United States during the World Cup, in which they were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16: “We’re watching everything, we see everything,” Pochettino had told reporters. “And of course we want talented players, players who feel brave and confident, but not players who think they have already proved something they haven’t yet proved or earned. I think you can afford to speak a little outside the lines only if you’re Messi. If you’ve won eight Ballon d’Ors, then you can speak with a certain arrogance.” Now, though, Sullivan could have the chance to show what he can do directly on the pitch. If he plays during the next international window, he would become the fourth-youngest player ever to make an appearance for the United States senior national team. The record belongs, fittingly, to Freddy Adu, who made his debut in 2006 in a friendly against Canada when he was a few months younger than Sullivan is now.
Cavan signed his first contract with the Philadelphia Union in May 2024, and that same agreement contains a clause providing for his transfer to Manchester City when he turns 18. At that point, CFG will decide where his development should continue, but there is certainly no shortage of options.