Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player in MLS history on Wednesday at 14 years and 293 days old, beating Freddy Adu’s record of 14 years and 306 days set back in 2004. The Philadelphia Union product entered as an 85-minute substitute, mere seconds after older brother, Quinn, scored to give the team a 5-1 lead over the New England Revolution.

It was a busy debut for the USYNT star, who looked the part of a seasoned pro with dynamic one-touch passing and a shot on target to boot. It was also a much-needed result for a Union squad that has struggled to find form all season, as this marked their first win in 11 matches.

The historic cameo comes after the attacking midfielder scored in back-to-back MLS Next Pro games for the Philadelphia Union second team, showcasing the intelligent off-ball movement and technical brilliance that has seen him regarded as one of the best youth soccer prospects in the world.

There may also be more opportunities to earn MLS minutes for a Philadelphia Union team sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 12 games still to play and losing two starters to the Olympic roster.

Sullivan, who has already signed and will join global soccer giant Manchester City on his 18th birthday, will feature in the MLS Next All-Star game on July 24th alongside the best youth prospects in American soccer.

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

Commitments: Bradley Heads to the Big East

TeamRank Presented By TeamSnap - Girls

Scouting the 2025 Generation adidas Class