Who are the youngest players in MLS history? Cavan Sullivan breaking records once held by Freddy Adu originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Records were meant to be broken, and after Freddy Adu's 18-year-old mark as the youngest professional player in MLS history was beaten last month, that bar has been reset again.
Maximo Carrizo officially became the youngest player to sign a professional contract in MLS history, signing his first pro deal with NYCFC on his 14th birthday on Feb. 28, 2022. The signing sees Carrizo top Axel Kei, who signed with Real Salt Lake in mid-January and at the time became the record holder.
Prior to Carrizo and Kei, the youngest player in MLS history was Freddy Adu, who famously signed a pro contract with D.C. United in 2004 at 14 years and 168 days old. Adu would go on to become the youngest player ever to appear in U.S. professional sports when he came off the bench for D.C. United's first match that season.
Adu would also mark himself as the youngest player to ever score an MLS goal by finding the back of the net on April 17 of that year.
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The Adu record stood for quite some time, and though four other players came close in recent years, signing before their 15th birthdays, they were still all a tad older.
“It’s an honor for me and my family to make MLS history by becoming the league’s youngest player to sign a first team contract," said Carrizo in the club's announcement. "This is an incredible club with amazing people, I’d like to thank everyone at NYCFC for believing in me and helping me take the next step in my career.
"I know I’m young and I have a lot to improve, but I am ready for the challenge and will work hard every day to show everyone what I am capable of."
Youngest players in MLS history
There have been plenty of young players to sign professional contracts in MLS.
Below are the 10 youngest players in league history.
Player
Age
Club
Year Signed
Maximo Carrizo
14 years, 0 days
NYCFC
2022
Axel Kei
14 years, 15 days
Real Salt Lake
2022
Freddy Adu
14 years, 168 days
D.C. United
2004
Emmanuel Ochoa
14 years, 191 days
San Jose Earthquakes
2019
Cavan Sullivan
14 years, 224 days
Philadelphia Union
2024
Christian McFarlane
14 years, 234 days
NYCFC
2021
Nimfasha Berchimas
14 years, 268 days
Charlotte FC
2022
Gabriel Slonina
14 years, 297 days
Chicago Fire
2019
Chance Cowell
14 years, 318 days
San Jose Earthquakes
2019
Bento Estrela
14 years, 364 days
NY Red Bulls
2021
Who is Maxmio Carrizo?
Maximo Carrizo, signing a professional contract with NYCFC on his 14th birthday, is the youngest player in MLS history.
Born in Manhattan and of Argentine descent, Carrizo joined NYCFC's academy in 2018 at just nine years old. He was a member of FC Westchester based in New Rochelle, New York, and was invited to the club's first-team preseason camp earlier this winter.
Carrizo has also recently earned attention at the national team level, one of 36 players called in to the U.S. Under-15 training camp in early January. He was one of just three players on the roster born in 2008.
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The youngster's deal with NYCFC is for six years, taking him through the 2027 season.
“It’s inspiring to see how NYCFC produces talent and how homegrown players get the opportunity to play in the first team,” Carrizo said. “I know this will take some time, but I am willing to be patient and learn from the amazing group of players and coaches that we have at this club.”
The club announced that Carrizo will be eligible to play for the NYCFC II team set to compete in the newly formed MLS NEXT Pro League, which is the USA's new third division.
The MLS NEXT Pro League begins play in March, with NYCFC II scheduled to kick off on March 27, playing home games at Belson Stadium in Queens, NY on the campus of St. John's University.
Youngest players to appear in an MLS game
Cavan Sullivan broke Freddy Adu's record as the youngest player to appear in an MLS game when he entered for the Philadelphia Union on July 17, 2024.
Sullivan was just 14 years, 293 days old when he entered the match, breaking Adu's record by 13 days.
Player
Club
Age
Date
Cavan Sullivan
Philadelphia Union
14 years, 293 days
Jul. 17, 2024
Freddy Adu
D.C. United
14 years, 306 days
Apr. 3, 2004
Julian Hall
NY Red Bulls
15 years, 190 days
Sep. 30, 2023
Nimfasha Berchimas
Charlotte FC
15 years, 267 days
Feb. 24, 2024
Alphonso Davies
Vancouver Whitecaps
15 years, 283 days
Jul. 16, 2016
Youngest goal scorer in MLS history
The youngest goal scorer in MLS history is still Freddy Adu, who set the record just over a month before his 15th birthday when he began his career with D.C. United. Cavan Sullivan may have broken his appearance record, but did not score his first league goal until he was 16 years, 227 days old.
Julian Hall became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in MLS history when he bagged a trio of goals for the New York Red Bulls on May 13, 2026 at just 18 years, 50 days old. Hall had previously been the third-youngest player to appear in an MLS match when he debuted at 15 years, 190 days old back in 2023.
Player
Club
Age
Date
Freddy Adu
D.C. United
14 years, 320 days
Julian Hall
16 years, 87 days
Gianluca Busio
16 years, 142 days
Jesus Ferreira
FC Dallas
16 years, 161 days
Diego Fagundez
16 years, 173 days
