Cavan Sullivan, a fourteen-year-old midfielder for Philadelphia Union, has made history as the youngest player ever in Major League Soccer (MLS). During a 5-1 victory over New England Revolution at Subaru Park in Pennsylvania, Sullivan came on as an 85th-minute substitute, breaking Freddy Adu's previous record set in 2004. At 14 years and 293 days old, Sullivan also became the youngest athlete in North America to compete at the top tier of a team sport.

Sullivan signed with Philadelphia in May, securing the largest homegrown player deal in MLS history. His future is already mapped out, as he anticipates joining Manchester City at the age of 18, facilitated by a partnership between Philadelphia Union and City Group.

In response to his record-breaking debut, Sullivan expressed gratitude for the collaboration between Union and Manchester City, stating, "They’re like every kid’s dream team." His achievement drew praise from Freddy Adu on social media, who congratulated Sullivan for surpassing his longstanding record.

Union manager Jim Curtin praised Sullivan as a "generational talent" with limitless potential to impact the game. Sullivan's brother, Quinn Sullivan, aged 20, also plays for Philadelphia Union. In the broader context of young debuts, Ethan Nwaneri remains the youngest male player in the English top flight, having debuted for Arsenal at 15 years and 181 days in 2022.