MIAMI — Cavan Sullivan, the 15-year-old Major League Soccer prodigy, wants to play for the United States in World Cup 2026.
He knows he might sound like “a pipe dream.”
You can’t blame the young, Philadelphia Union standout from dreaming big.
“A pipedream is to be in the 2026 World Cup. I’ll be only 16 years old. Just to be able to play in front of my home country, representing the first team of the U.S. national team will be absurd,” Sullivan told USA TODAY Sports during MLS Media Day on Thursday.
“At the end of the day, I want to win a World Cup, win a Champions League, win a Premier League and live up to my potential. MLS Cup is definitely on my list in the next three years.”
Sullivan might not be a household name just yet, but he’s oozing with potential.
He became the youngest athlete to debut in an American sports league last July. He was handpicked by Lionel Messi and adidas as one of 10 promising soccer players to be on the “Messi+10” team and wear Messi’s F50 cleats. He’s got three years to play and gain experience with the Union before he’s transferred to Manchester City in England when he turns 18.
“I’m just taking it every day at a time. Obviously, there’s a lot to look forward to in the future. But right now, my main focus is Philadelphia,” Sullivan said.
“I understand that without this, that doesn’t matter. I need to show I can perform in the MLS before I can perform in the Premier League. So, a lot of work to do here.”
Sullivan has the potential to be the American soccer version of Caitlin Clark, the 22-year-old women’s basketball star who singlehandedly elevated the sport in the United States in the last two years.
He could even be like Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old soccer star who broke onto the scene during last summer’s European Championships for Spain.
The U.S. men’s national team is far from a World Cup favorite. Just getting out of the group stage, which they didn’t do during last summer’s Copa America, would be an accomplishment.
The Americans need a spark, outside of captain Christian Pulisic, to take the next step in the sport internationally.
Maybe, Sullivan could light the fuse.
Sullivan did not want to divulge if he’s had any contact with the U.S. national team, which recently hired new coach Mauricio Pochettino to steer the program.
Sullivan finished last year training with the U.S. under-17 national team. He’ll likely play in February’s Concacaf U-17 championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar in 2025.
Perhaps, the international experience leads to an opportunity at the World Cup for Sullivan.
“We’re a growing country in terms of international football. If we want to be the best country in terms of soccer, we’re going to need to raise our standards for sure,” he said.
Just as important, Sullivan hopes to see more action with the Union first-team in 2025 to help his dream become a reality.
Last season, Sullivan played in just three MLS games with the Philadelphia Union first team, while being an available substitute in 10 other contests.
He did gain some experience with the Union MLS NEXT Pro team, scoring five goals with three assists in 17 games.
Sullivan was 14 years and 293 days old when he made his debut for the Union on when he entered in the 85th minute of Philadelphia’s 5-1 win over the New England Revolution on July 17, 2024.
He was even younger than Freddy Adu – who was often heralded as “the next Pele” – when Adu made his debut for D.C. United in 2004 at 14 years, 306 days old.
Maybe, history repeats itself again with Sullivan and Adu in the next year or two.
Adu was 16 years old when he became the youngest USMNT player in 2006.
“If I want to accomplish my dreams, this is a really crucial year for me. If I break out this year, the dream of mine becomes way easier,” Sullivan said.
“I think this year is probably the biggest of my life so far. And 2024 was pretty big. This is the next step.”
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.