Since the day Cavan Sullivan signed his first professional contract with Philadelphia Union of the MLS at age 14, which included a clause that he would sign with Manchester City of the Premier League when he turned 18, Sullivan has been turning heads on and off the pitch.
Sullivan, now 16, did so again this week after he had his high school graduation and scored his first professional goal, and did so off the bench, all within the same week. Now his milestone is getting immortalized with a Topps Now card.
The Hype Has Reached a Fever Pitch
Cavan Sullivan MLS Renaissance Auto /5 | Card Ladder
This Cavan Sullivan 2025 Topps Renaissance On-Card Auto /5 with an inscription out of 2025 Topps Chrome MLS sold for $4,400 on May 15th after scoring his goal on May 13th this week. The same card sold for $2,750 back in March.
The Sullivan market has been high since he started showing up in products. It all started with 2024-25 Panini Donruss Soccer, but with products like 2024-25 Select FIFA and 2024-25 Panini Obsidian Soccer, he also got higher-end sets. Then came the 2025 MLS soccer products from Topps, starting with the 30th anniversary sets in which he was included.
While he won't be participating in the 2026 World Cup, the hype continues to grow around Sullivan, and his first goal is taking things to a new level, especially for his MLS products. The hype will only continue as he moves to Manchester City and eventually gets a World Cup debut patch.
Getting the Topps Now Treatment
It's crazy to think that Cavan Sullivan has been a hyped American soccer prospect for over two years now. He's drawn comparisons to Christian Pulisic as a winger who is both solid on the ball and has an eye for goal. That combination of talent inspired his first goal: he put in a great cross into the box, then got in himself and found the back of the net.
Now his big week is capped off with a one-of-a-kind Topps Now card from the night of his first goal. The Patch Auto featuring match-worn shorts is sure to be one of the top non-Messi Topps Now chases of recent memory. While it won't be a rookie card, it will commemorate a defining moment in the young prospect's career.
The big week for American soccer prospects in the MLS wasn't limited to just Cavan Sullivan. 18-year-old New York Red Bulls forward Julian Hall became the youngest player in league history to score a hat trick (which also got the Topps Now treatment). Hall has 9 goals and 2 assists so far in the first 13 games of the season.
Julian Hall Topps Now | Topps
Another future USMNT player, 19-year-old winger Zavier Gozo, of Real Salt Lake, also had a brace last weekend for RSL against Houston. Gozo is off to a hot start as well, with 5 goals and 3 assists in 12 games for Real Salt Lake.
Between Gozo, Hall, and Sullivan, the future of the US Men's National Team is looking bright, even if they may not be present at the 2026 World Cup.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/collectibles as High School Graduation to First Professional Goal and a Topps Now Card.
