USMNT hopeful Cavan Sullivan reflects on ‘crazy’ Lionel Messi meeting – with teenage wonderkid explaining how he boasts the same ‘fearless’ mentality as Argentine GOAT

That mindset has served the youngster well so far, with positive progress being made on the back of making his MLS debut at just 14 years of age. Sullivan, who already has a transfer to Premier League giants Manchester City lined up, is daring to dream big.

He has expressed a desire to make the USMNT squad that will be playing a World Cup on home soil in 2026, with there plenty more potential to be unlocked in his game. Philadelphia Union sensation Sullivan has already caught the eye of some notable figures, including an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, and continues to live the dream.

Sullivan has told the Messi +10 documentary series from adidas of rubbing shoulders with the Argentine GOAT: “Meeting him was pretty crazy to me because it’s like, okay, I just met him and now a month later it’s like, would you like to be a part of the Messi +10 collab? And it’s like, yeah, obviously.”

Having earned the support of Inter Miami superstar Messi, Sullivan is now looking to tread a similar career path. His game boasts many of the same characteristics, with the teenager adding on his best qualities: “I’m always going to be fearless, yeah. Every time I get the ball, I want to have an impact on the game. I want to be the difference maker and the playmaker and I want to kill the opponent. But obviously in reality you can’t do that every play. So picking and choosing decision making becomes a big part of your playing style.”

Sullivan needs to be carefully managed from this point, in order to avoid any distractions that may take his promising career off course, but for now he is full of ambition and determined to follow in the most illustrious of footsteps.