Cavan Sullivan gets the USMNT call for the September, October FIFA international window

We called it, and now it’s official. Cavan Sullivan, the 16-year-old Union LIVING LEGEND we’ve been raving about for weeks, has earned his first call-up to the United States Men’s National Team for the upcoming September/October FIFA international window.

The formal announcement comes September 17, and Sullivan will be part of the squad taking on Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada over the course of the window. This is a massive, well-deserved moment for OUR GUY who’s been forcing this exact conversation with his play.

CAVAN SULLIVAN TIME.

Sources: Union's Sullivan, 16, set for first USMNT call-up

Philadelphia Union attacker Cavan Sullivan has earned a call-up from the United States for the upcoming September/October FIFA international window, sources told ESPN.https://t.co/jCvUY3t3d3

— ESPN Soccer (@ESPNsoccer) September 16, 2026

The USMNT’s first game is against Peru on September 26 in Orlando. Sullivan turns 17 on September 28, so if he makes his debut in any of those matches, he’ll become the SECOND-youngest player to ever appear for the United States, behind only Freddy Adu, who debuted at 16 years, 243 days back in 2006.

That’s rarefied air, and Cavan is right there knocking on the door of it.

Let’s be honest, this has been coming for a while. The Philadelphia native has long been touted as a future star for the national team, and he backed it up by signing a homegrown deal with the Union on May 9, 2024, at just 14 years old, making him the fifth-youngest player ever to sign a first-team MLS contract.

That deal famously contains a clause that sends him to Manchester City when he turns 18 in 2027. The pedigree has always been there. Now the production has caught up to the hype.

Make no mistake, it’s Cavan Sullivan’s recent form that grabbed Mauricio Pochettino’s attention, and rightfully so. Since MLS resumed after the World Cup break, Sullivan has scored six goals, including goal contributions in each of his last seven league games, and added eight assists.

Cavan Sullivan is the future.

CAVAN SULLIVAN BACKHEEL?! 😲

The 16-year-old gives @PhilaUnion the lead in San Diego just before halftime! pic.twitter.com/oSvyKnvfRp

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2026

Cavan Sullivan just went for two goals and an assist in Sunday’s 5-0 demolition of San Diego FC, and he now sits at nine goals and 15 assists across all competitions this season. That’s not a prospect getting a courtesy look. That’s one of the hottest attackers in the league demanding a spot.

Major League Soccer’s leaders in goal contributions since returning from the World Cup break:

🇦🇷 Lionel Messi (12)
🇺🇸 Cavan Sullivan (12)

Messi made his 209th senior appearance for club and country on Sep 26, 2009, two days before Sullivan was born.

Still only 16 years old 🔥 pic.twitter.com/epu25U6tVg

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) September 15, 2026

Cavan Sullivan made his MLS debut on July 17, 2024, at 14 years and 293 days old, becoming the youngest player to appear in a league match for any major professional sports league in the U.S. and Canada, breaking Adu’s old mark by 13 days. This kid has been rewriting the record books since before he could drive, and he’s nowhere near done.

Players report to the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Atlanta on September 20 to kick off the window and whenever Cavan Sullivan steps onto that field for his country, it’s going to be a genuinely special moment, not just for him, but for Philadelphia and for the future of American soccer.

This is our guy. The dawg who defended his brother, the record-breaker, the future Man City star, and now a United States international. We’ve been telling you all along how special he is, and now the whole country is about to find out.

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