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Who are the youngest players to debut in MLS?

A record which has stood for 20 years could be broken this week if Cavan Sullivan turns out for the Philadelphia Union. Who are the youngest MLS debutants?

Andy Hall
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A record which has stood for 20 years could be broken this week if Cavan Sullivan turns out for the Philadelphia Union. Who are the youngest MLS debutants?
Allen KeeMLS via Getty Images

Earlier this week, Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin included 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan in his squad list for tonight’s Week 27 clash with the New England Revolution. If he plays, Cavan will become the youngest player to debut in the North American top flight, breaking a record that has stood for the past 20 years.

April 2004: Freddy Adu makes his MLS debut against San Jose

Freddy Adu is the current record holder. Dubbed The New Pelé, Freddy was 14 years and 306 days old when DC United head coach Piotr Nowak decided to hand him his debut in the opening game of the 2004 MLS regular season against the San Jose Earthquakes at RFK Stadium. In front of 24,603 fans and wearing the No.9 jersey, the teenage attacking midfielder replaced goal scorer Alecko Eskandarian on 61 minutes with United leading 2-1.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men while Freddy was on the pitch and he saw little of the ball during his 29-minute cameo but at least he ended on the winning side and took the record for being the youngest player to star in MLS and the youngest sports professional to debut in the US.

Freddy Adu still the youngest goal scorer in MLS history

It was the first of 30 appearances that season - his first goal came in his third game, in the 3-2 defeat to the New York Metrostars. Even if he is surpassed by Cavan Sullivan tonight, Freddy Adu will still have the honor of being the youngest player to score in MLS, at 14 years and 320 days of age. The closest anyone has got to that record was Julian Hall who scored a late equalizer for the New York Red Bulls in the 2-2 draw at Montreal last month. At 16 years and 87 days, Hall is the MLS’ second youngest goal scorer.

While Maximo Carrizo is officially the youngest player in MLS history having signed a professional contract with New York City FC on his 14th birthday and Real Salt Lake signed Axel Kei when he was barely a fortnight older than Carrizo, aged 14 years and 15 days, neither has made their top flight debut. So let’s take a look at the list of the youngest players to have debuted at senior level in MLS.

Youngest players to debut in MLS

  1. Freddy Adu (D.C. United): 14 years, 306 days. April 3, 2004 vs San Jose Earthquakes
  2. Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps): 15 years, 257 days. July 16, 2016 vs Orlando City
  3. Matai Akinmboni (D.C. United): 15 years, 328 days. September 10, 2022 vs Real Salt Lake
  4. Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC): 15 years, 351 days. July 22, 2021 vs Austin FC
  5. Érik Dueñas (LAFC): 15 years, 362 days. October. 14, 2020 vs Vancouver Whitecaps
  6. Stiven Jimenez (FC Cincinnati): 15 years, 362 days. June 21, 2023 vs Toronto
  7. Danny Leyva (Seattle Sounders): 16 years, 31 days. June 5, 2019 vs Montreal Impact
  8. Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders): 16 years, 46 days. May 16, 2021 vs Los Angeles FC
  9. Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City): 16 years, 61 days. July 28, 2018 vs FC Dallas
  10. Caden Glover (St. Louis CITY): 16 years, 66 days. May 13, 2023 vs Chicago Fire

Cavan Sullivan features in Jim Curtin’s 20-player roster for the Philadelphia Union’s game against the New England Revolution at Subaru Park later this evening.

The young midfielder, who is expected to join Premier League champions Manchester City in 2027, could overtake Freddy Adu to become the youngest player to debut in Major League Soccer.

At 14 years and 292 days, Cavan will become the youngest MLS debutant in history if he steps out even for just one minute at at Subaru Park later this evening.

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