Following a cataclysmic disaster in Trinidad and Tobago that cemented the U.S. men’s national team’s fate as spectators to the 2018 World Cup, positives seemed few and far between for a soccer nation that was at its lowest point in decades.

In the following year, however, under interim manager Dave Sarachan, hope emerged in the form of fresh, youthful faces. Christian Pulisic, who had become a golden boy of sorts, led a trio of returning teenagers—himself, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie—into the squad’s regular rotation. In addition, Sarachan handed first caps to six other teens, including Timothy Weah and Josh Sargent. These five would become defining figures heading into the 2022 World Cup cycle, which saw one of the youngest USMNT squads in recent memory and a whopping 15 teenagers called up in 2020, with 12 more selected in 2021.

As current manager Mauricio Pochettino reviews a squad that captured the attention of tens of millions of Americans this summer, but failed nonetheless, that inkling of hope is once again emerging.

Pulisic, now 28, is no longer a golden boy but a veteran, as are the others that followed in his footsteps a decade ago. In their wake, space is building for a new generation to ascend, led by a man—or boy, rather—who, like Pulisic, is nothing less than a wunderkind. That boy, Cavan Sullivan, is representative of a new kind of USMNT youngster. Where Pulisic came from Dortmund, Sullivan stayed in MLS—as did many of the other teenagers who have gained the favor of Pochettino.

MLS Is Center Stage for USMNT’s Newest Talent—But How?

U.S. Soccer is in a similar spot to eight years ago: building for another attempt in four years’ time. Yet now, the approach is different; where Europe was once the premier producer of young talent for the national team, MLS has now taken center stage. This not only challenges the traditional wisdom that Europe is a more preferable route for American youngsters than MLS, but it also raises one important question: how did this happen?

MLS, like the USMNT, is enjoying a moment of teenage revolution. According to the league, a record number of teens (84) had made appearances in MLS by mid September, with a combined 57 goals among them similarly setting a record. Though Sullivan has been the poster boy for this surge of talent, the plaudits are not entirely his. Other teenagers, like Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti at Red Bull New York and Neil Pierre, another Philadelphia Union product, have snatched their fair share of the spotlight.

6'7'' Neil Pierre RISES to pull one back for @PhilaUnion! 👀 pic.twitter.com/8SVdODDYHZ

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 25, 2026

Players like these point to a trend that can help explain the boom in young MLS stars: improved academies. One or two decades ago, American soccer academies were in their infancy, or simply nonexistent. Now, ones like YSC Academy in Philadelphia and the New York Red Bulls Academy provide comprehensive education as well as professional training environments for players, greatly increasing the opportunity and sustainability of youth development at the academy level. 

Another factor is the league itself. The homegrown rule, which has been a part of MLS since 2008, significantly boosted the capabilities of MLS teams to sign youth talent, while the introduction of the U-22 rule in 2021 has allowed for teams to better retain that talent through more lucrative, cap-friendly second contracts.

Players like Jack McGlynn, Owen Wolff and Niko Tsakiris, among others, are able to remain in the league and receive competitive salaries, while their teams remain compliant with league rules. Jack McGlynn has since moved on to Stoke City in a transfer worth up to $5.5 million—a significant sum that would not have been possible if he had left the league two or three seasons prior. In a system dominated by rigid structure and regulations, space carved out explicitly for the development and retention of academy products has yielded massive success and is a major reason for MLS’ teenage moment.

Then, of course, there are the practical details. In 2008, when the homegrown contract rule was introduced, the league sported just 14 teams, less than half of today’s league size. Each club came with its own academy, crop of local talents, and injection of cash into the league, transforming the infrastructure one expansion at a time.

MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro wouldn’t be founded until 2020 and 2021, respectively, meaning that youth players had fewer intermediary steps between the academy and the first team prior to five years ago. These changes, as a result of league expansion, have similarly increased the quantity of opportunities that exist for young players in the U.S.

They’ve also revolutionized what the process looks like for an up-and-coming player. Rather than force teenagers to compete with experienced pros for contracts, MLS has created both a system that allows for younger players to develop in a lower, more age-appropriate league before they make the jump, and a set of rules that encourage clubs to sign those players regardless of the rest of the team’s squad. Today’s league would appear like a dream to a fan, player, or even executive from twenty years ago, but now, it’s a reality.

USMNT Reaping the Benefits of MLS’ Growth

The result of this development is a seismic shift in how U.S. players progress and enter their professional careers.

The traditional pathways remain options for promising Americans—Mathis Albert, like Pulisic once did, is climbing the ranks at Dortmund, while Diego Kochen’s parent club is Barcelona; however, in the fall international break, a quarter of Pochettino’s squad was comprised of MLS teenagers (seven), all of whom are regularly playing and excelling at their respective domestic clubs.

Sullivan’s path to the pros would not have been possible without each of these developments in MLS. At YSC, he grew into a 14-year-old that was mature and capable enough to make that first league appearance. He was retained through a record-breaking homegrown contract. Then, in MLS NEXT Pro, the world saw his dazzle: Sullivan logged 11 goals and nine assists through two seasons, and his mazy dribbles and creative flair was enough to finally convince the Union he deserved a spot in the first team.

Hall’s story followed a similar path—the teenager spent two seasons with the NEXT Pro side before finally becoming a regular rotation player last season at 17 years old. Then, this season, he exploded, catapulting himself into the upper echelons of MLS goalscoring talent. He has emerged as a fully formed striker with 14 goals in 31 games across all competitions. Where players in Europe gain experience through occasional substitute appearances, the MLS youngsters of this generation are turning themselves into the cornerstone of their team.

Sullivan has been one of the best players in the league since the World Cup, with six goals and 10 assists in the last 11 league matches since mid-August. It’s no wonder Pochettino was so enamored by these starlets. Rather than appearing like potential prospects for the future, the teenagers of MLS have shown themselves to be key contributors now, regardless of age.

Hall and Sullivan are getting to show their talent because they are being given the opportunity to do so. While exposure and elite training standards help develop players, the single greatest asset will be and always has been minutes. Those will always be easier to come by in MLS, and this season, teenagers are making the most of the opportunity.

17 years old and the best player under 22 in MLS. ⭐️🇺🇸

Cavan Sullivan tops the 22U22 list: https://t.co/fkQdu3Fmjr pic.twitter.com/XVcOj37DmV

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 20, 2026

Whether this trend continues in coming years remains to be seen. There’s good reason to be optimistic, though; with top prospects like Zavier Gozo and Alex Freeman leaving for Europe in expensive deals, the world, it seems, is waking up to MLS’ developmental project.

Twenty years ago, MLS had prospects, wunderkinds, and golden boys. But now, the world around them is different—opportunities are greater, structures are more sustainable, academies are plentiful and pathways to the pros have become well-oiled machines rather than infrequent miracles. Pochettino, the first foreign coach to lead the USMNT since Jurgen Klinsmann left ten years ago, finds himself with a decades-long grassroots process now coming to fruition.

Whether or not the class of 2026 reaches the same heights that Pulisic, McKennie and Adams have in the past eight years, the new generation represents something greater: the increasing influence of MLS on youth player development in the U.S. and changing tides at the international level.

Sullivan may be the face of this movement, but the groundwork was laid far before him.