Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 35 of the 2026 MLS season.
Sullivan scored twice in Philadelphia’s 4-1 Decision Day win over Toronto FC to cap off a historic season for the 17-year-old Homegrown. Both Cavan and his brother Quinn scored in the match, becoming the third pair of brothers to score as teammates in a single game in MLS history. Sullivan finished the season with 23 goal contributions (nine goals, 14 assists), setting the single-season record for a teenager in MLS history. His brace against Toronto was the second of his 2026 season and marked his sixth game with multiple goal contributions. In Philadelphia Union history, his 14 assists were the fourth-most in a single season, while his 23 goal contributions were tied for the fifth-most. In his 21 starts this season, the Union recorded 41 points, going 12-4-5. Eighty-two percent of Philadelphia’s points in 2026 came from matches Sullivan started.
Philadelphia opened the scoring in the 28th minute as Quinn Sullivan picked out Indiana Vassilev, who opened a window of space to locate Cavan Sullivan for a tap-in from close range. Coming out of halftime with the Union leading 2-1, Cavan Sullivan notched his brace with help from his brother Quinn, who located the sprinting 17-year-old midfielder and he did the rest with a left-footed one-timed finish.
With the honor, the Union have now earned five Player of the Matchday awards in 2026, which is the most in a single season in club history and the most in MLS this season. Sullivan is also the second teenager to win the award twice in 2026, joining Red Bull New York’s Julian Hall (Matchday 1 and Matchday 13).
Sullivan will join the U.S. Men’s National Team during the November FIFA International Window before returning to Philadelphia for the Round One Best-of-3 Series against the New England Revolution. Game 1 of the series begins on Saturday, November 21, when Sullivan and Philadelphia travel to Gillette Stadium (2 p.m. ET, MLS on 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.
