Cavan Sullivan is slated to be the next American soccer poster boy, and while a future at Manchester City awaits and a new cycle looms, the 16-year-old should be allowed to mature before carrying the expectations of a soccer program that has seen players in similar situations fizzle out.
For the past few years, those who have followed American soccer have heard the name Cavan Sullivan.
The 16-year-old is currently settling into life as a professional in Major League Soccer with the Philadelphia Union, where the talented winger has already amassed seven goals and seven assists in 46 games.
A few highlight-reel videos on X and some fancy footwork on the field have many United States men’s national team observers buzzing about Sullivan’s future and what he could bring to a program that, at times, seems to scream for unrealistic expectations.
Sullivan is a generational soccer talent who made history as the youngest player ever to debut in MLS at just 14 years old, a milestone some dismissed as a marketing push designed to take that achievement away from Freddy Adu, another U.S. Soccer superstar prospect who ultimately succumbed to the weight of unrealistic expectations.
Sullivan usually plays as a dynamic midfielder, where he has showcased a fearless, fast, and direct playing style. That skill set has already earned him a move to Manchester City when he turns 18, further cementing his status as one of the most exciting young prospects in global soccer.
But with pundits and former USMNT benchmark players such as Tim Howard and Landon Donovan pushing for him to play for the USMNT sooner rather than later, once again, a young American player seems destined to carry enormous weight on his shoulders and potentially skip necessary steps to truly cement himself within a national team where he can contribute rather than simply become its newest poster boy.
A Slow and Gradual Step
Unlike Zavier Gozo, who is already raising eyebrows at Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Sullivan is just now showcasing his talent with the Union, where he has recorded four goals and three assists in 21 regular season games in 2026 as Philadelphia continues its push in the MLS Eastern Conference and looks to eek into a playoff spot.
There have been flashes of brilliance and impressive displays from Sullivan, but he still needs to hone his skills, manage certain moments of his game, improve defensively, and learn how to handle more experienced opposition.
Gozo, for example, is 19 and looks primed to make the jump to the full national team during the September/October camps. Sullivan, meanwhile, looks ready to continue his development with the U-23 Olympic squad under the watchful and experienced eye of Steve Cherundolo.
As Mauricio Pochettino looks to phase out some players and bring new blood into the full national team, the notion that the Argentine will simply call in a large group of teenagers ahead of players already competing in Europe and deserving of an opportunity with the senior team is premature.
Gozo looks ready for the full national team, while Adri Mehmeti, Julian Hall, and Justin Ellis still look like players who will be part of the Olympic roster and, most likely, need to focus on that pathway for the time being.
Sullivan appears primed to become the biggest face among the youth ranks of the Olympic roster, and giving him valuable minutes alongside players he will most likely be with during the 2028 Olympics would be invaluable.
That does not mean Sullivan, or any of the players mentioned above, cannot eventually make the full national team. They absolutely can. But the program must be willing to build toward that moment rather than force it.
Pochettino and Cherundolo will have to be smart about when to share their resources and when to “hold back,” especially as other senior players continue to make their case for a place in the full national team.
Reasonable Expectations and Heavy Competition
Sullivan has talent. Anyone can see that. But does he look better or more talented than Christian Pulisic or Gio Reyna did at the same age? That is debatable. Does he look like a future world-class player? That is also debatable.
In the eyes of U.S. Soccer and its marketing machine, Sullivan is exactly what the program is looking for. But it is up to the experts to manage expectations and do their best to guide a teenager who is being thrust into the limelight.
Still, nothing is guaranteed.
Sullivan faces plenty of competition on the USMNT. First, there is Gozo, who virtually plays the same position. Then there is Malik Tillman, who has at times slotted into the right and is coming off some of his best performances for the U.S. at the World Cup. And then there is the enigma that is Reyna.
It is easy to simply say, “Play Sullivan.” It is much harder to decide who you bench and who you remove from the roster, while also acknowledging that the U.S. needs to begin moving on from some older players that have shown everything they can provide to the team.
Even those being considered for departure from a guaranteed spot on the national team can throw a curveball. Tim Weah, for example, was recently named captain of Olympique de Marseille, much to the surprise of many.
In central midfield, where Sullivan has played extensively with the youth national teams, he faces major competition. Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso, and Aidan Morris all loom large, while Gianluca Busio has performed well at club level in similar roles and deserves another look with the national team.
On paper, Sullivan has a great future ahead of him. But he also has plenty of competition from players who have already put together substantial bodies of work and merit further consideration.
Too Soon?
Ad agencies, marketing departments, and parts of the soccer media seem increasingly frustrated with Pulisic. The Pulisic criticism has been overblown and, at times, inconsistent with past statements made about the AC Milan winger.
The desire to replace one of, if not the best American soccer player of all time after a World Cup that was not his best — but also not quite the disaster everyone says it was — seems premature.
Pulisic remains a major piece of AC Milan’s rebuilding plan and still has prime years left in his career.
Trying to force Sullivan into the USMNT ahead of Pulisic is simply not the right formula. Pulisic at Sullivan’s age was more developed and already on the cusp of capturing everyone’s attention.
U.S. fans should be rubbing their hands at the possibility of seeing these two talents play together rather than treating them as an either/or choice. Pulisic still has at least one more cycle of his best football to give the program, while Sullivan has the makings of a player who could be ready to make a major impact by 2030.
The USMNT is still Pulisic’s team to lead, but the World Cup showed that he needs help. With Gozo and Sullivan developing, a more mature McKennie and the striking power of Folarin Balogun, the USMNT looks like a team capable of something bigger.
Again, on paper.
After eight years of talking about a “Golden Generation,” fans, pundits and U.S. Soccer need to learn that American soccer is still a work in progress. There is talent, plenty of it, but that talent needs to be developed, challenged and carried with care.
Jumping the gun has cost the program and countless players a lot over the years.
Hopefully, in the case of Sullivan, we have learned from the mistakes of the past: the overhyping of Adu, the pressure placed on Reyna, and the sometimes unwarranted criticism of Pulisic, who is still active and still has plenty to give.
If we truly want to help Cavan Sullivan, get out of the way. Let the kid play. Let him develop. Let him evolve.
The next face of American soccer does not need to be decided today.
