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The latest United States men’s national team roster has been released and the Philadelphia Union’s 16-year-old prodigy Cavan Sullivan is in the squad.
Sullivan is one of three home-grown Union youngsters on the roster, with 18-year-old central defender Neil Pierre and 20-year-old outside back Frankie Westfield also getting called up. All three are among the 13 players hoping to debut for the USMNT this international window.
The 28-man squad selected by national team coach Mauricio Pochettino is very youth focused, with some veterans in the mix. The average player age is 22 years and nine months. Hershey native Christian Pulisic was not called up.
“It’s a great accomplishment for the guys individually and we’re proud of them, but also a great accomplishment for the club,” The Union’s interim head coach Ryan Richter said Friday morning. “Just what it means for our entire program, our philosophy of developing young players and bringing guys through the academy. It’s just a great reflection of the hard work of a lot of people, but especially the hard work of the three guys that got called up for the U.S. ”
The Union is the Major League Soccer team with the most players in this iteration of the national team, and can also lay some claim to New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese and Celtic defender Auston Trusty as Union products. Freese and Trusty both featured in the World Cup team.
The U.S. will play four games, starting against Peru on Sept. 26 in Orlando, then Chile on Sept. 29 in St. Louis, Mexico on Oct. 3 in Glendale, Ariz., and closing out with Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minn.
Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques also got a call up to Haiti’s national team. Goalkeeper Andre Blake was called up for Jamaica, which Richter revealed Friday.
If you haven’t been keeping up with soccer after this past summer’s FIFA World Cup, the Union have been on a tear, moving from dead last in the league to in playoff contention with a 10-game unbeaten run. Sullivan, Pierre and Westfield have been an important part of that resurgence.
Sullivan has provided six goals and eight assists since the league returned in July, form that’s up there with Inter Miami and former Argentina national team superstar Lionel Messi — a player who had over 200 games and 100 goals before Sullivan was even born.
Pierre has scored four goals in just 10 MLS appearances this season, already a single-season record for a defender at the Union. Westfield has eight assists so far this season, the second most behind Sullivan.
Much of the attention has been on Sullivan, who is clearly thriving under the heavy spotlight that’s been on him, and providing highlight clips that are making American soccer fans perk up after a deflating World Cup exit and look forward to how he could impact future Olympic and World Cup teams.
CAVAN SULLIVAN BACKHEEL?! 😲
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2026
The 16-year-old gives @PhilaUnion the lead in San Diego just before halftime! pic.twitter.com/oSvyKnvfRp
“He deserves all the praise that he’s getting, because he’s performing well, he’s playing well, he’s giving assists, he’s scoring goals — and he’s 16,” said Pochettino.
If Sullivan plays in any of the games, he will become the second-youngest player to ever play for the USMNT, behind Freddy Adu — American soccer’s cautionary tale on overhyping a rising star. He signed his first professional contract for the Union when he was 14 years and 224 days and made his MLS debut at 14 years and 293 days — breaking the record set by Adu at D.C. United by 13 days. His first MLS goal came in May, and his first brace was last weekend.
He turns 17 on Sept. 28 and is set to join English giants Manchester City when he turns 18.
“The most important thing is we need to have a clear idea how to — I don’t want to use the word ‘help,’ but just to be with him and try to provide the best platform for him to evolve,” Pochettino said of Sullivan’s call-up. “Every day, we need to be the people that go there to push, and to evolve, and to sometimes put limits, sometimes to encourage to keep going, doing what he’s doing. It’s a good challenge for us, and I think it’s exciting to have him.”
Before Sullivan, Pierre and Westfield head out to national team duties, they’ll help the Union keep its unbeaten run going in Saturday’s game against Sporting Kansas City, which kicks off at 8:30 p.m, streaming on Apple TV.
Richter said that his job this weekend is to keep them focused on that game before they head to national team training in Atlanta on Sunday.
“What I want first is them not to think too far ahead and remember we still have a game tomorrow that we have to put all their focus and attention into,” he said.
