"Meeting him was pretty crazy" - Wonderkid Sullivan reflects on meeting with Lionel Messi and dreams to be 'fearless' like the Inter Miami superstar

Philadelphia Union wonderkid Cavan Sullivan has shared his experience of meeting Lionel Messi and spoken about his ambitions for his career. The youngster was part of a select group of elite young footballers chosen by Messi to participate in his Adidas campaign last year.

American teenager Sullivan grabbed headlines when, at 14 years and 293 days old, he made his MLS debut for Philadelphia Union, becoming the youngest player to appear in a major professional league in US history. The teenager signed a professional deal with the MLS club which includes a clause that will see him transfer to Manchester City once he turns 18.

For Sullivan, all of these achievements took a back seat when he met Lionel Messi at his Messi +10 Collab with Adidas. He said on the documentary series that meeting the Argentine superstar was crazy, as was the invitation he received to participate in the collab and documentary.

“Meeting him was pretty crazy to me because it’s like, okay, I just met him and now a month later it’s like, would you like to be a part of the Messi +10 collab? And it’s like, yeah, obviously.”

The young midfielder pointed out that he intends to model his game to be similar to Lionel Messi's, seeing as they are both left-footed and have similar styles.

“I’m always going to be fearless, yeah. Every time I get the ball, I want to have an impact on the game. I want to be the difference maker and the playmaker and I want to kill the opponent. But obviously in reality you can’t do that every play. So picking and choosing decision making becomes a big part of your playing style.”

Cavan Sullivan has gone up against Lionel Messi once in his budding career so far, back in September when his side lost 3-1 to Inter Miami. The teenager had been left on the bench throughout the game, but he had time to take pictures with the Argentine great afterwards.

Lionel Messi adds achievement to impressive career

Lionel Messi has added another achievement to his impressive career after scoring against Club America for Inter Miami. The 37-year-old was among the goals for the Herons, helping them win the pre-season friendly on penalties.

Messi's goal, his side's equaliser against the Mexican club, was one of the easiest of his decorated career. He had the simple task of steering the ball home from close range after a cross from Luis Suarez. By so doing, he scored for a 21st year in succession, further strengthening his legacy.

Messi has hinted at continuing to play football professionally and potentially featuring in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The former Barcelona and PSG man will need to keep himself fit in order to achieve his dream of playing in the Mundial next year.