Youngest USMNT goal scorer: Cavan Sullivan, Mathis Albert top Christian Pulisic to make USA soccer history originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The United States began their fall 2026 international break with two wins from two, topping Peru and Chile with a youthful roster chock full of debutants and teenagers.
One of the youngest on the roster was Borussia Dortmund winger Mathis Albert, who at 17 years old got his USMNT debut against Peru over the weekend. He would then see more time against Chile the following match, coming off the bench to play the final 19 minutes plus stoppage time.
The youngster would find the final goal of a 4-2 victory, poking in a header across the face of goal by fellow substitute Auston Trusty, who met Cavan Sullivan’s initial corner kick at the far post. That moment made USMNT history, as Albert became the youngest goal scorer in United States international history.
Incredibly, that mark would only last a few days as Sullivan would find the net himself to set a new mark, beating Albert’s record that only survived a short time.
MORE:Cavan Sullivan is the best USMNT prospect ever
Youngest USMNT goal scorer in history
Mathis Albert’s goal against Chile broke the previous record held by Christian Pulisic, who scored twice against St. Vincent and the Grenadines almost exactly 10 years previously.
PlayerDateAgeMatchCavan SullivanOct. 3, 202617 years, 5 daysUSA 2-0 MexicoMathis AlbertSep. 29, 202617 years, 131 daysUSA 4-2 ChileChristian PulisicSep. 2, 201617 years, 253 daysUSA 6-0 St. VincentJuan AgudeloNov. 17, 201017 years, 359 daysSouth Africa 0-1 USAGio ReynaNov. 16, 202018 years, 3 daysUSA 6-2 PanamaJozy AltidoreFeb. 6, 200818 years, 92 daysUSA 2-2 Mexico
CAVAN SULLIVAN PICKS HIS POCKET AND SENDS IT IN FROM WAYYYYYY DOWNTOWN! #USMNT x @VW https://t.co/tTiumwSPsS
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) October 4, 2026
Who is Mathis Albert?
Born in Greenville, South Carolina, 17-year-old Mathis Albert has come through the U.S. youth national system, on the radar since the U-15 level.
Born to a French father and an American mother, Albert started his club career in the LA Galaxy youth system before joining the academy of German side Borussia Dortmund in 2024.
He was the youngest player on any roster at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, but did not make an appearance at the tournament. He became the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga when he made his German top flight debut for Dortmund in the final minutes of their victory over Freiburg in April 2026.
17-year-old Mathis Albert becomes the youngest goal scorer in @USMNT history 👏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/8nUZB1TvCT
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) September 30, 2026
Who is Cavan Sullivan?
Sullivan hails from northern Philadelphia, PA, moving to Norristown at a young age. That proximity allowed him to join the Philadelphia Union academy in 2020, which trains in nearby Wayne, PA, along with his older brother Quinn, a 20-year-old American youth international who graduated from the Union academy and now plays for the club’s first team.
Sullivan has earned eye-popping plaudits from coaches and scouts all over the globe. Back in April of 2023, when Sullivan was just 13, Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtain said that the youngster “has the ability and talent to become, I’ll just say, a household name.” But others would go even further.
Former U.S. international and current ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman said in early 2024 that Man City scouts told him they believe Sullivan is “the best 14-year-old in the world” before adding his own commentary that “they’re not wrong.”
Sullivan played for the USA U-15 side at the CONCACAF U-15 Championship in 2023, winning the Golden Ball award for best player at the tournament, which the U.S. won by beating Mexico 4-2 in the final. He scored three goals at the event, all in the group stage, before helping the U.S. dominate possession through the knockout stages.
As a 16-year-old, Sullivan went to Qatar for the U-17 FIFA World Cup, where he came off the bench to score the first goal for the United States in their tournament opener against Burkina Faso.
He would make his USMNT debut shortly before turning 17 in September of 2026, scoring his first goal in a victory over Mexico just five days after his birthday.
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