The next men’s World Cup may not be for another four years, but 16-year-old prodigy Cavan Sullivan is not wasting any time staking his claim for a roster spot on the U.S. men’s national team. In fact, he may very well be the face of the Stars and Stripes come 2030.
The Philadelphia Union winger has turned up the heat in the second half of the season, most recently stunning in Sunday’s Leagues Cup match against Liga MX’s Necaxa. It took him all of three minutes to become the difference maker, pulling a double scissors move on left back Francisco Méndez before dishing a pass to Nathan Harriel for Philadelphia’s opening goal.
Sullivan then added a goal for himself in the second half—his fourth-career with the Union. He settled a cross with his chest before blasting the bouncing ball with his left foot through the net, powering his side to a 3–1 victory in the second Phase One match, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Leagues Cup history alongside Mexico phenom Gilberto Mora.
“He has been dangerous every game, and he has been in positions where he is getting his opportunities … But it was really important for him today to get that goal, and I was most proud about the type of goal that it was,” Union interim manager Ryan Richter said postgame.
“It wasn’t the special one where you beat three players and curl the ball into the top corner. It was to get to the right spot at the right time and put the ball in the back of the net. He has the special goal in him, but this is how he is going to score a lot of goals at this level.”
The homegrown player signed with the first team back in May 2024. Two months later, he broke Freddy Adu’s long-standing record, becoming the youngest player (14 years, 293 days old) among all of the top North American professional sports leagues to make his regular-season debut. He is now a consistent starter with the Union, who have agreed to transfer him to Manchester City after he turns 18.
Can Sullivan Handle the Pressure?
Sullivan’s surge against Necaxa came off the heels of the Union’s 1–0 loss to Cruz Azul three days before, a defeat the youngster took full responsibility for.
“I had two that I missed. I’m not happy about them,” Sullivan told reporters after Thursday’s loss. “They need to be put to bed. I apologize to my team and the fans. Obviously in the Leagues Cup, every chance matters and could affect us in the future.”
It made the subsequent match a personal matter, one to which he successfully rose to the challenge. The pressure doesn’t seem to faze young Sullivan. If anything, it impassions him on the pitch. This is fortunate for the USMNT, considering the attacker has been continually pegged as the future of the program and a likely starter for the 2030 squad.
“Cavan Sullivan was really, really good for Philadelphia the other day and keeps getting better,” USMNT legend Alexi Lalas said Monday on his State of the Union podcast. “I saw someone worrying and warning against propping up a young phenom.
“You’re not going to break him,” Lalas added. “ ... He’s good enough and potentially could be good enough that that pressure from an early age is a good thing.”
Sullivan has represented the youth national team at the U-17 level, including at the 2025 U-17 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, in which he started three of four matches and had one goal and two assists. Although he has yet to receive a senior call-up from manager Mauricio Pochettino, one may be on the way for the upcoming international window in September and October. Pochettino recently signed a new contract with U.S. Soccer through 2030, a deal which includes increased involvement in the U.S.’s top youth prospects like Sullivan himself.
