Bangladeshi-origin Cavan Sullivan makes US debut at 16

Cavan Sullivan – the 16-year-old American forward who traces his ancestry to Dhaka through his maternal grandmother – became the youngest player to start for the United States men's national team since Freddy Adu in 2006.

Sullivan, whose grandmother Sultana Alam was born and raised in the Bangladeshi capital before moving to the United States, started in Mauricio Pochettino's XI for Saturday's friendly against Peru at Orlando's Inter&Co Stadium.

The teenager's Bangladeshi heritage has been widely noted in South Asian football circles, with his elder twin brothers Ronan and Declan Sullivan representing Bangladesh in the Under-20 level.

Sullivan became the fourth-youngest player, at 16 years and 362 days, to earn a US cap, and the youngest since Adu's 2006 substitute appearance against Canada at 16 years, 234 days. Sullivan turns 17 on Monday.

Only Mike Slivinski and Mark Jonas have represented the United States at a younger age than Sullivan. Slivinski remains the youngest player ever to start a match for the country, doing so in 1991.

"I've dreamed of this day my entire life," Sullivan told TNT Sports after the match.

Sullivan, who is regarded as the next big thing in US football, drew the headlines in the match but it was his fellow teenagers Justin Ellis and Julian Hall who got on the score sheet as the United States won 4-1.

Sullivan's form for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer (MLS) earned him the call-up. He has scored seven goals and provided 12 assists in 26 games this season for the Union, sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Sullivan had earlier made history in July 2024 by becoming, at 14 years and 293 days, the youngest player to appear in a major North American professional league match, beating a record Adu had set in 2004 by 13 days.

Premier League giants Manchester City have already signed Sullivan, and the player will join the club after becoming 18.