Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to debut in MLS and North American team sports history when he entered Wednesday night’s match in the 85th minute against the New England Revolution.
Sullivan (14 years, 293 days) passed Freddy Adu (14 years, 306 days) for the MLS mark. Adu set it for D.C. United in 2004.
“Big congrats to Cavan Sullivan for his record breaking debut today,” Adu said in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “That’s a hard record to break and the kid did it. Well done and good luck my man.”
Big congrats to Cavan Sullivan for his record breaking debut today. That’s a hard record to break and the kid did it. Well done and good luck my man. ????????????
— FREDDY ADU (@FreddyAdu) July 18, 2024
Sullivan entered the match with Philadelphia leading 5-1, which was the final score. His 20-year-brother, Quinn, scored in the 84th minute.
The younger Sullivan took a left-footed shot from outside the box in the third minute of second-half stoppage time but New England goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic made the save.
Cavan Sullivan is a Philadelphia native who is expected to develop into a standout player.
After becoming noteworthy as a teen phenom, Adu made 17 appearances for the U.S. men’s national team during his career, scoring two goals.
–Field Level Media
