USMNT Beats Peru 4-1 in Friendly as Cavan Sullivan Debuts

The United States men’s national team defeated Peru 4-1 in a friendly at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on September 26, 2026. The match featured 11 debuts and eight teenagers, highlighted by 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan becoming the second-youngest player to start for the senior national team.

Mauricio Pochettino rolled the dice in Orlando, Florida, trusting a youthful core that brought the starting eleven’s average age down to just 23 years old. While the fluid 4-2-3-1 system produced chaotic moments in the backline, the sheer volume of emerging talent transformed a standard friendly into a historic showcase for the program. Mauricio Pochettino expressed pride in the performance of the younger players following the USMNT’s 4-1 victory over Peru.

Cavan Sullivan Makes History as the Youngest Starter

All eyes in Orlando focused squarely on Cavan Sullivan. At 16 years and 362 days old, the Philadelphia Union midfielder became the second-youngest player to ever start for the U.S. Men’s National Team, trailing only Freddy Adu, who debuted at 16 years and 234 days old in 2006. Sullivan also secured the milestone of second-youngest player to ever earn a cap for the United States men’s senior national team, adding to a resume that already includes breaking professional sports league debut records in the United States at just 14 years and 293 days old against the New England Revolution.

Over his 62 minutes of action, Sullivan completed 25 of 28 passes, generated two chances, blocked a shot, registered seven touches inside the Peru penalty area, committed one foul, and picked up a yellow card following a collision with Peru netminder Pedro Gallese. The soon-to-be 17-year-old, who will soon leave Philadelphia Union for the shores of England and Manchester City, played with undeniable confidence and a willingness to drive directly at the Peru defense. Displaying his persistence in tracking down both promising opportunities and seemingly dead plays, he chased a loose ball near fallen goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and whipped a cross toward the center of the area from the very edge of the end line, finishing his shift sharing the team high for touches in the box and sitting just one behind Tillman for the game’s created chances.

Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, and the Teenage Supporting Cast

While Sullivan commanded pregame attention, his fellow teenagers ultimately stole the show. Hometown hero Justin Ellis ignited the home crowd just four minutes into the match, scoring the opener before the smoke from pregame fireworks had cleared. Ellis scored the opener and was very bright, earning a 9 player rating.

The Americans took charge after halftime. Mathis Albert, the 17-year-old winger, entered the game at halftime and immediately drew a penalty kick that Malik Tillman ultimately converted to put the U.S. up. Julian Hall, 18, then came off the bench and also scored on debut by driving at the Peru goal to turn home a fantastic cross from Sebastian Berhalter for the USMNT’s third goal. And then the fourth came from Berhalter himself, who earned a 10 player rating and curled in the best goal of the day from distance for a cherry on top.

Eighteen-year-old Peyton Miller got the nod at left-back, contributing to a youthful lineup that enjoyed a celebratory atmosphere as the Americans coasted to a comfortable victory against a CONMEBOL opponent utilizing several youngsters, all while a pair of seasoned veterans further solidified their status as vital pillars of the national team.

Midfield Anchors and the Road Ahead

Amid the youthful chaos, veteran leadership steadied the program. Pochettino praised how easily the program's newest faces integrated, noting how vital the veterans were in guiding the influx of youth.