It may be a “pipe dream” but Cavan Sullivan’s desire to play in the 2026 World Cup is still very real.
The Philadelphia Union phenom has revealed his desire to play for the U.S. men’s national team at the tournament in a year and a half — a competition during which he will be only 16 years old.
“A pipe dream is to be in the 2026 World Cup. I’ll be only 16 years old. Just to be able to play in front of my home country, representing the first team of the U.S. national team would be absurd,” Sullivan told USA TODAY Sports during MLS Media Day on Thursday.
Should Sullivan achieve his goal, he would be the youngest player in men’s World Cup history. The current record is held by Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside, who was 17 years and 40 days when he played at the 1982 competition.
Sullivan, 15, has big ambitions but nothing appears out of reach for a player who has already made an auspicious start to his career.
In May, Sullivan signed the most lucrative Homegrown Player contract MLS has ever seen. The deal includes a clause that will see him join Manchester City in 2028 when he turns 18.
In July, he became the youngest player in MLS history when he played for the Philadelphia Union at age 14 years, 293 days.
“At the end of the day, I want to win a World Cup, win a Champions League, win a Premier League and live up to my potential,” he said. “MLS Cup is definitely on my list in the next three years.”
Ahead of the 2025 MLS season, Sullivan is hoping to play more with the Union first team after spending most of the 2024 campaign with the club’s reserve squad.
“If I want to accomplish my dreams, this is a really crucial year for me. If I break out this year, the dream of mine becomes way easier,” Sullivan said. “I think this year is probably the biggest of my life so far. And 2024 was pretty big. This is the next step.”
Sullivan has only featured for the U.S. at the under-15 and under-17 levels, making a jump to the senior side unlikely in the immediate future. But nothing seems impossible for a player looking to become a household name sooner rather than later.
