Having already broken numerous records in MLS, Cavan Sullivan has now made his US international debut before his 17th birthday. His move to Europe has already been confirmed.
The USA have made a strong comeback following the home World Cup with a comfortable victory, generating excitement thanks in part to several newcomers. In the 4–1 friendly win against Peru in Orlando, two of the many debutants found the net, but the spotlight was on someone else: Cavan Sullivan became the youngest US international since Freddy Adu in 2006.
Sullivan, who turns 17 on Monday and is under contract with Philadelphia Union, was immediately included in manager Mauricio Pochettino’s starting line-up following his first call-up and played on the right wing for 62 minutes. Unlike in many of his recent MLS appearances, he did not manage to get on the scoresheet, but the hype is likely to only fuel his debut further.
In the MLS, Sullivan is among the top scorers this season – which has been interrupted by the World Cup – with seven goals and twelve assists. He had already made his league debut in 2024 at the age of 14 years and 293 days – a feat that not even Adu had managed at the time. His current scoring statistics also set a new record for a player under the age of 17.
Sullivan’s future has long been settled, even if it has not yet been officially announced: as The Athletic reported back in early 2024, an agreement is already in place for him to join Manchester City on his 18th birthday in 2027.
Tillman also scores
Against Peru, Pochettino – who had extended his contract following the World Cup – gave a total of eleven players their debut in the US shirt. Of these, 19-year-old Justin Ellis (Orlando City) scored in the fourth minute to make it 1–0, and 18-year-old Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls) scored in the 72nd minute to make it 3–1. Hall also set up Sebastian Berhalter for the final goal (90th minute). Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman had made it 2–1 from the penalty spot (66th minute).
Meanwhile, co-World Cup hosts Mexico had to settle for a 1–1 draw against Colombia in Baltimore, but could also celebrate the debut of a top talent: 17-year-old Gilberto Mora scored his first goal in his 13th international appearance.
