A historic start: Cavan Sullivan makes first USMNT start

16-year-old Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan was named in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting lineup for Saturday’s friendly against Peru at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, making his senior debut for the United States national team. At 16 years and 363 days, Sullivan is the fourth-youngest player of the modern era to debut for the USMNT, another milestone in a career of rapid achievements.

According to mlssoccer, his first senior call-up follows a remarkable run of club form: this MLS season he has registered 7 goals and 12 assists in 24 appearances, including a goal contribution in eight straight matches — the longest such stretch by a teenager in league history. Sullivan has been at the heart of Philadelphia Union’s dramatic turnaround, unbeaten in 11 straight matches and climbing from the bottom of the Eastern Conference toward the MLS Cup playoff places.

The start against Peru gives Sullivan the chance to show at international level what he is doing with his club. He started in midfield alongside experienced names such as Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman, as the United States opens the first international windows of the cycle toward the 2030 World Cup.

This debut cements Sullivan as a bright prospect for the national team and adds weight to expectations for his further development; as mlssoccer reports, the team and coaches will continue to assess how well this progress translates into sustained first-team contribution.