For the first time in his budding young career, 16-year-old Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan has been named MLS Player of the Matchday.
Sullivan netted his first-ever MLS brace and added one assist in the Union’s 5-0 victory at San Diego FC during Matchday 26's edition of Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire.
Sullivan has totaled 12 goal contributions (5g/7a) in his last seven matches, including at least one in each, which is the longest streak by a teenager in MLS history.
The homegrown star has been a catalyst throughout the Union's 10-game unbeaten run since the FIFA World Cup break; they've gone 8W-0L-2D in that stretch and risen from last in the Eastern Conference to seventh place and into an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs position.
Sullivan now has 17 goal contributions this season (6g/11a), which is tied for the third-most by a teenager in a season in MLS history, and only three behind Diego Fagúndez (20 in 2013) for the most.
This marks the first time Sullivan has been named MLS Player of the Matchday. He becomes the third-youngest player (16 years, 351 days) in MLS history to earn the honor, behind only Freddy Adu (15 years, 342 days) and Santino Quaranta (16 years, 275 days).
After Bruno Damiani's Matchday 25 Player of the Matchday honor, the Union are the first team to win the award in consecutive matchdays with two different players since LAFC on Matchdays 34 and 35 in 2025 (Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga).
Sullivan and the Union will look to continue their impressive form when they travel to face Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV).
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
