Youngest Ever MLS Player Debuts for Philadelphia Union at Age 14

Youngest Ever MLS Player Debuts for Philadelphia Union at Age 14
The Philadelphia Union's Cavan Sullivan, at age 14 the youngest player in MLS history, holds up his jersey during a news conference in Chester, Pa., on May 9, 2024. Jonathan Tannenwald/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
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CHESTER, Pa.—Fourteen-year-old Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player in Major League Soccer history on Wednesday night—and probably the youngest to play in any of the biggest professional sports leagues in the world.

Sullivan was 14 years, 293 days old when he entered Philadelphia’s home game against the New England Revolution as a substitute in the 85th minute. That makes him about two weeks younger than Freddy Adu when he made his MLS debut for DC United in 2004.