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Former U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Tim Howard is calling for 16-year-old sensation Cavan Sullivan to feature in nearly every USMNT match in the buildup to the 2030 World Cup, hoping to have the youngster at his best for the tournament, which will be hosted primarily across Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Howard's remarks come on the heels of an impressive run for the young Sullivan, who has been in outstanding form recently with the Philadelphia Union. Since the World Cup break, the teenage talent has contributed a goal and three assists across his last four appearances in all competitions. He has also emerged as a central figure in the Union's attack under interim head coach Ryan Richter.
On Matchday 21 of the MLS regular season, Sullivan was among the Union's standout performers in a 2–2 draw with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, leading all players on the night with four shots and seven touches inside the attacking penalty area. His evening came to an abrupt end in second-half stoppage time, however, when he was shown a red card after appearing to exchange blows with Miami midfielder Yannick Bright.
That tenacity, combined with his sharp dribbling ability and knack for creating chances, has Howard envisioning big things over the next four years. Yet to receive a senior USMNT call-up, Howard is convinced Sullivan can contribute meaningfully right now—with the aim of building a foundation for even greater impact down the road.
"Here's what other countries do, and we need to be better at this in America," Howard said on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast alongside Landon Donovan.
"We don't get a lot of players like yourself [Donovan], Clint [Dempsey], like Christian Pulisic, like Cavan Sullivan. Cavan Sullivan needs to play nearly every game between now and 2030 ... so he can make mistakes so that he can continue to play in MLS.
"Play him now. Let him make his mistakes. Let him grow into the team so that in 2030 at the World Cup, we have a 20-year-old who's like, 'Give me the ball. Give me the ball on the biggest stage,' and that sounds far-fetched to us, but every other country does it."
Will Sullivan Earn a Fall Call-Up?
If Sullivan keeps up his breakout performances for the Union, he could persuade USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino to include him in what is anticipated to be an expanded squad for four fall friendlies against Chile, Peru, Mexico and Canada.
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Should he make the cut, it would represent his first senior national team appearances and provide a genuine gauge of the level, as well as the pressure that comes with facing Concacaf rivals like El Tri and Les Rouges.
Yet, while Howard will advocate strongly for Sullivan's inclusion, other emerging talents could also earn call-ups as early as this fall, most notably Zavier Gozo. The 19-year-old recently signed with Crystal Palace after making an even more eye-catching impression in MLS with Real Salt Lake than Sullivan has managed so far with the Union.
Following the four fall friendlies in September and October, the USMNT will regroup in November for their first competitive fixtures since the World Cup, as the Stars and Stripes gear up for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, beginning a campaign they hope culminates in a fourth Nations League title in five tournaments come spring.