Will Cavan Sullivan play vs. Lionel Messi this week? Here’s what to know.
The Union’s game at Inter Miami is expected to be Messi’s first game back from a two-month injury absence.
The Union’s visit to Inter Miami this Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV) is likely to get a lot more hype than most Union games.
It’s shaping up to be Miami superstar Lionel Messi’s first game back from an ankle injury he suffered in Argentina’s Copa América title game win, almost exactly two months ago. It’s also potentially going to be the first time Union teen phenom Cavan Sullivan shares a field with the soccer legend.
We don’t know whether either will play in the game, and we won’t until Saturday. But since the Union’s reserve team plays at Miami’s reserves on Sunday, Sullivan will almost certainly travel to South Florida regardless.
» READ MORE: Why Cavan Sullivan, hyped as the world’s best 14-year-old soccer player, chose to turn pro with the Union
And since Sullivan and Messi are both adidas clients, you don’t have to be a marketing expert to guess there’s a big opportunity to at least do a photo op.
Here’s what to know this week as the game approaches.
What is Messi’s injury?
Messi suffered ligament damage after twisting his right ankle in the Copa América final on July 14. He exited in the 66th minute of a game in which his Argentina beat Colombia, 1-0, in extra time, and was able to return to the field for the trophy ceremony.
Coincidentally, the game was played across town from his MLS home at the Miami Dolphins’ NFL stadium.
Messi returned to practice in late August. Herons manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino said after his team’s most recent game, a 4-1 win at Chicago on Aug. 31, that he held Messi out that night to give him a little more rest heading into a FIFA window for national team games.
“For the time he could have given us in this game, it was better to give him these next 15 days [of the FIFA window] and to see if we can have him available for our next game against Philadelphia,” Martino said at the time.
» READ MORE: Is Cavan Sullivan really that good? Here’s what to know about the Union academy and its teen phenom.
Has Cavan Sullivan played for the Union?
Yes, though just one game with the first team so far. He has mainly been with the Union’s reserve squad, where he has played 14 games and recorded three goals and three assists. But he has done plenty to stay in the headlines with highlight-reel plays.
Over the last few days, Sullivan has been with the U.S. under-17 national team at an exhibition tournament in the Czech Republic. The U.S. lost to Germany, 4-0; beat the Czech Republic, 4-0; and tied Slovakia, 1-1, and Sullivan played in all three games.
» READ MORE: Union phenom Cavan Sullivan gets seal of approval from Bryce Harper: ‘You’re legit, dude’
Is Messi the GOAT?
The Argentine playmaker’s place on men’s soccer’s Mount Rushmore has been pretty secure for a long time, thanks to his incredible talents that brought four Champions League and 10 Spanish league titles to Barcelona.
But the feats that sealed the deal have come in the relative twilight of the 37-year-old’s career. After losing in the final games of the 2014 World Cup and 2015 and 2016 Copa Américas, Messi finally won a major national team title for his country at the 2021 Copa América.
In 2022, Messi won the biggest prize of all, the World Cup, playing a huge role in Argentina’s triumph. That pretty well ended any debate. This year, Messi added another Copa América title, though he had to watch the end of the final from the bench because of that ankle injury.
» READ MORE: MLS says it has global ambition, but too often acts like it doesn’t. That needs to change. | Jonathan Tannenwald
Has Messi played against the Union?
Just once: in the Leagues Cup semifinals at Subaru Park in summer 2023. And he delivered, scoring an impressive goal in a 4-1 blowout win.
He did not play in Miami’s regular-season visit to the Union this year, because it was just a few days before the Copa América started and he was in Argentina’s training camp. The Union and anyone else who paid attention knew months ahead of time that would be the case, but thousands of fans wearing Messi’s jersey showed up anyway.
Messi also didn’t play in last year’s regular-season game in Chester, because he hadn’t officially joined Inter yet. And he was out with a different injury when Argentina played at Lincoln Financial Field in March.
» READ MORE: ‘Score be damned:’ Fans relish the opportunity to see the GOAT, Lionel Messi, in Philly
Is the Cavan Sullivan hype for real?
Yes. Though he’s just 14 years old, Sullivan is a serious talent. He signed a pro contract to go straight to the Union’s first team in May, and made his MLS debut in July — becoming the youngest player to play in a game in league history.
The Union youth academy that Sullivan has grown up in has one of the best track records of any American soccer club in producing big-time players. Look no further than the current senior U.S. national team, which includes alums Brenden Aaronson of England’s Leeds United, Auston Trusty of Scotland’s Celtic, and Mark McKenzie of France’s Toulouse.
There’s also Paxten Aaronson, who was on the U.S. Olympic team this summer; and Zack Steffen, a veteran goalkeeper having a renaissance year right now with the Colorado Rapids.
» READ MORE: Union teen phenom Cavan Sullivan drew a crowd of autograph seekers on a day off in Sea Isle City
When did Cavan Sullivan sign with adidas?
Sullivan has worn adidas gear for a while but formally started marketing for the company earlier this year. In March, he was spotted wearing adidas and Prada co-branded soccer cleats while playing for the Union’s under-17 team at the Generation adidas youth tournament, a major event where MLS teams’ youth squads play like-age lineups from notable teams around the world.
In June, Sullivan did a big-time photo shoot for adidas where he was with other soccer stars, including U.S. women’s national team Olympic hero Trinity Rodman.
» READ MORE: Trinity Rodman and other new USWNT stars will be even bigger deals now as Olympic champions
Where does Inter Miami play?
Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It opened in 2020, Inter’s first season. The venue was meant to be a temporary home until the Herons could find somewhere to build a proper stadium. The venue’s original capacity was 19,100, and was expanded to 21,550 when Messi was signed.
In 2022, local officials agreed on a deal with Inter for the club to build a 25,000-seat stadium in a park near Miami’s airport. The club recently announced that the venue is set to open in 2026.
Fort Lauderdale isn’t Miami, but it has long been where the region’s pro soccer teams have played. The stadium sits on the same site as the old Lockhart Stadium, the home of MLS’s former Miami Fusion and the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
» READ MORE: Union owner Jay Sugarman believes Cavan Sullivan can be a long-sought homegrown breakout star
How much are Inter Miami tickets?
Messi’s presence has sent prices through the roof since the day he arrived, but there are tickets available for Saturday’s game. A check of Ticketmaster over the weekend showed prices starting at $102 before the usual endless fees.
Prices will probably jump once Miami manager Martino confirms that Messi will play Saturday. The game will also be the first since Inter’s other superstar, Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, announced that he’ll retire after this year.