Cavan Sullivan became the youngest goalscorer in United States men’s national team history after finding the net in a 3-0 friendly victory over Mexico in Arizona.
The Philadelphia Union midfielder was 17 years and five days old when he scored in the 62nd minute, breaking a record that had stood for only five days. Mathis Albert had set the previous mark at 17 years and 131 days after scoring against Chile earlier in the international window.
Sullivan’s landmark goal came after he intercepted a pass from Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel before lifting a composed finish over him from distance. The strike doubled the USA’s advantage and added another major milestone to the teenager’s rapid rise.
The midfielder is currently with Philadelphia Union but is expected to join Manchester City next season. City secured an agreement for Sullivan when he was 14 in 2024, although uncertainty now surrounds the move after the Premier League club was found guilty of the majority of the 115 financial-rule breaches it had been accused of. City are expected to appeal the decision.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team had taken the lead in the 28th minute through another teenager, 18-year-old Julian Hall, before Sullivan made history after the break.
Mexico’s hopes of mounting a comeback suffered another setback in the 68th minute when substitute Luis Chavez was sent off after making contact with Sebastian Berhalter’s face.
Malik Tillman then completed the scoring in the 84th minute, sealing a convincing 3-0 win for the United States against their regional rivals.
For Sullivan, the night marked another important step in a career that has already attracted major attention, with his record-breaking international goal arriving before his planned move to English football.