At just 14 years and 293 days old, Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan made history by becoming the youngest player to debut in both MLS and North American team sports.
He came on as a substitute in the 85th minute of Wednesday night’s game against the New England Revolution, surpassing the previous record set by Freddy Adu (14 years, 306 days) for D.C. United in 2004. Adu himself congratulated Sullivan on breaking his record in a post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), saying, “That’s a tough record to beat and the kid did it. Well done and good luck my man.”
Sullivan’s debut came in a match where Philadelphia was already leading 5-1, with his 20-year-old brother Quinn scoring a goal just a minute earlier. Although Sullivan had a chance to score with a left-footed shot in stoppage time, it was saved by New England goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic.
As a native of Philadelphia, Sullivan is expected to have a bright future as a standout player. Adu, who rose to fame as a teenage prodigy, had a successful career with 17 appearances for the U.S. men’s national team and two goals scored.
