Who is Cavan Sullivan? Philadelphia Union's 14-year-old breaks Freddy Adu's MLS age record

The future Manchester City kid just became the youngest-ever player to play in MLS on Wednesday night

By Chuck Booth Jul 17, 2024 at 10:03 pm ET• 3 min read

History has been made in Chester, Pa. as 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to ever appear in a Major League Soccer game at 14 years, 293 days old. Sullivan broke a 20-year-old record that was held by Freddy Adu who accomplished the feat for D.C. United on April 3, 2004 against the San Jose Earthquakes at 14 years, 306 days old.

It was a poetic moment as he entered in the 84th minute after his older brother Quinn Sullivan scored a beautiful goal from outside the box. Sullivan came on to cheers in Subaru Park, breaking Adu's record by 13 days to help the Union close out their match against the New England Revolution.

Here's what to know:

Who is Cavan Sullivan?

Cavan signed a record-breaking homegrown player deal where he'll earn more than $500,000 per season. After signing that deal, Sullivan has been playing for the Union's MLS Next Pro team where he has performed well. Sullivan is also expected to join Manchester City when he turns 18.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Sullivan is quickly making a name for himself while also playing in midfield. That homegrown deal helped pave the way for Sullivan to debut, but it's been tricky as the Union have also had to manage child labor laws to ensure that his debut happens at the right time. When the Union faced Toronto FC over the weekend, Sullivan wasn't able to play due to Canadian laws paving the way for his debut at home in Chester.