City-bound Cavan Sullivan has reached another significant milestone after making his senior United States debut at just 16.
Sullivan started Saturday’s 4-1 win over Peru in Orlando and became the fourth-youngest player to represent the USMNT, aged 16 years and 363 days.
The teenager played 62 minutes before being replaced, adding a senior international appearance to a rapidly growing list of achievements. For Man City, it was another reason to keep a particularly close eye on a player whose future has already been mapped out.
Sullivan’s rise gathers pace before Man City move
City agreed a future deal for Sullivan in 2024, when he was only 14, with the Philadelphia Union midfielder due to move to Manchester when he turns 18.
There was inevitably plenty of projection involved in securing a player so young. Two years later, Sullivan is beginning to produce at senior level with remarkable consistency.
His USMNT debut follows a superb run of form with Philadelphia in MLS. Sullivan has seven goals and 12 assists from 24 league appearances this season, with his latest goal and assist coming in a remarkable 4-3 comeback victory over Sporting Kansas City.
Philadelphia had trailed 3-0 before recovering to win, with Sullivan setting up Bruno Damiani and then scoring himself two minutes later. Those contributions extended his run of MLS matches with either a goal or assist to eight, the longest sequence by a teenager in league history.
His 12 assists are also an MLS single-season record for a teenager. That form earned Sullivan his first senior international call-up, and Mauricio Pochettino went a step further against Peru by putting him straight into the starting XI.
Sullivan almost marked his debut with a goal during a dominant American performance. He was found inside the penalty area during the opening stages, only for Peru’s defence to block his close-range attempt.
The United States eventually ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, with Sullivan leaving the field shortly after the hour.
City have another reason to watch Sullivan closely
Sullivan’s progress has been rapid. He became the youngest player in MLS history when making his Philadelphia debut at 14 years and 293 days in July 2024. Last year, at 15 years and 280 days, he became the second-youngest player ever to start an MLS match.
Now he has established himself as a regular contributor at senior club level and made his full international debut before his 17th birthday. There are still obvious reasons for caution.
Sullivan remains at the beginning of his career and the eventual step from MLS to Manchester City will bring an entirely different level of competition. A deal agreed when he was 14 was always about what City believed he might become rather than what he already was.
Two years later, there is considerably more evidence to work with.
Seven MLS goals, a league-record 12 assists by a teenager and a record eight-game contribution streak represent serious senior output. Starting for his country at 16 adds another marker. City moved remarkably early to secure Sullivan’s future.
His development since then suggests why they were prepared to do it.
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