Inside rise of City wonderkid Cavan Sullivan who is matching Lionel Messi in MLS

Cavan Sullivan is quickly becoming a U.S. soccer name to remember after scoring his first senior goal for Philadelphia Union-linked “Stars and Stripes” following his 17th birthday. Just five days earlier, he played a key role as the U.S. beat Mexico 3-0 on Sunday, converting an acrobatic lob after intercepting a pass from Raul Rangel. Before he even arrived for his first senior call-up during this international break, Sullivan was already viewed as a future U.S. men’s national team star. Manchester City signed him to join at age 18 in 2028 via a pre-contract four years earlier, while he continues developing in Philadelphia. This season, the wide midfielder has 24 MLS appearances, seven goals and 12 assists, tying Lionel Messi for goal contributions since the World Cup and winning MLS Player of the Month in September.