Cavan Sullivan, just 14 years and 293 days old, made his MLS debut and set a historical record that goes beyond football. The American boy from Philadelphia Union, who already belongs to Manchester City, became the youngest athlete to debut in one of the major leagues of North American sport when he entered in the 85th minute against the New England Revolution. In this way, he surpassed the record of Freddy Adu, the Ghanaian-American who did it in 2004 at the age of 14 years and 306 days.
This impressive record attracted the attention of the entire sporting world, and congratulatory messages did not stop. The first to highlight the achievement was Freddy Adu himself, who wrote in X: “It is a difficult record to beat and the boy achieved it. Well done and good luck, friend.” North American sports usually have age restrictions, so that this type of case does not happen where children debut, to avoid the enormous physical difference with their rivals. However, Major League Soccer does allow it, and that is why in May of this year he signed a contract until 2028, when he must leave for England. The link includes a clause so that as soon as he turns 18, Sullivan will join Manchester City.
His coach in Philadelphia, Jon Curtin, anticipated the possibility of Cavan adding minutes against the New England Revolution. The American technical director declared: "He is going to be among the 20 called up because he earned it. We are missing some players, but Cavan has earned being called up and will have the opportunity." In this way, the flashes landed earlier on the young man who was born in September 2009.
The midfielder of just 1.58 meters is compared to Lionel Messi for his enormous ability to dribble against rivals and shoot on goal. He is also left-handed, like the Argentine star, and is very easy to assist his teammates. In 2023 he was the star figure of the United States Under 15 National Team, where he became Concacaf champion. There Sullivan was chosen as the best player in the competition and provoked the specific interest of the team led by Pep Guardiola.
Before making history, Sullivan himself was very excited and eager to have his first professional experience. "I think it would be nice to have my first record but I don't care if I have it or not. Everyone is on their own path. It's not really about where you start, it's where you finish," he expressed at the opportunity to be part of American sports history books.
His young age is not synonymous with insecurity or unconsciousness. He appears very mature to face everything that comes with being a professional soccer player at only 14 years old. When he signed his first professional contract, he said: "I tend to not even listen to what they call me or what they say about me in the media and social networks. In reality, it's what I think about myself. I don't listen to anyone, either good or bad, so it doesn't really affect me at all."
In 2004, the Ghanaian-born player Freddy Adu made his debut in DC United at only 14 years and 306 days old. His early debut seemed to indicate that Adu was going to be the king of football for many years, but he was far from that. In 2007, as soon as he came of age, Benfica paid 1,500,000 euros for the nationalized American. He was not successful and began an endless number of assignments and transfers, which led to his return to North America, where he retired at the age of 30.
