U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has handed 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan his first senior call-up, per multiple reports.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Philadelphia Union forward will be
included on Pochettino's roster for four upcoming friendlies, the USMNT's first matches since the 2026 World Cup.
Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada will be the opponents in the newly expanded September-October FIFA window, with the matches taking place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6.
Sullivan is one of several newcomers reported to be on the roster, including Zavier Gozo, Justin Ellis and Mathis Albert, as well as his Union teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield.
But Sullivan is the roster's biggest headliner. The teenager has shown in 2026 he has the ability to live up to the massive amount of hype he's been carrying for years.
Sullivan has impressed with the Union since making his way into the starting lineup earlier this season, becoming one of his team's most important players despite his age.
After his brace against San Diego FC over the weekend, Sullivan has nine goals and 15 assists across all competitions this season. That includes goal contributions in each of his last seven league games.
According to American Soccer Analysis' goals added metric, a catch-all measure of a player's overall effectiveness, Sullivan ranks 14th across the entire MLS this season. For a player who still hasn't turned 17, that is more or less uncharted territory.
Sullivan turns 17 on Sept. 28, and he will become the USMNT's fourth-youngest player if he plays in any of the team's matches. Freddy Adu holds the record, having made his USMNT debut in 2006 at the age of 16 years, 234 days.
Adu previously held the record for youngest MLS player ever, but Sullivan broke that record in 2024 when he made his MLS debut at 14 years and 293 days old.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 16-year-old star Cavan Sullivan earns first USMNT call-up, per reports
