Fans object to TNT stat comparing Cavan Sullivan and Lionel Messi

A TNT commentator noted Sullivan and Messi were the only MLS players with 13 goal contributions since the league resumed, and viewers on X pushed back.

A statistic read out during TNT's coverage of the United States' international friendly against Peru has drawn criticism from soccer fans. The moment came when a member of the commentary team placed Cavan Sullivan in the same breath as Lionel Messi, a framing that viewers quickly challenged on social media, with many of the responses arriving on X.

Sullivan, an attacker for the Philadelphia Union, marked the occasion with a place in the record books. The appearance made him the youngest player to feature for Team USA since 2006. He came away without a goal contribution, but his play showed why he has drawn attention at this early stage of his career.

His call-up was grounded in club form. Sullivan entered the fixture having scored or assisted in six consecutive MLS matches for Philadelphia, a streak that ran through the weeks before the Peru game. That run of production in league play formed the basis of his selection.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino backed the selection before kickoff. "If we only talk about his performance, he's doing really well in his club in Philadelphia. Talking only about that, I think he's ready, but the rest of the players too," Pochettino said of the Union player. He added that Sullivan is "mature enough on the field."

The flashpoint came from the broadcast booth, where Brian Dunseth and Luke Wileman were on the call for TNT. When Sullivan appeared on screen, one of the commentators offered a stat connecting him to Messi: "Since MLS resumed following the World Cup, only 2 MLS players have amassed 13 goal contributions, Leo Messi and Cavan Sullivan."

The figures behind the remark point to a considerable gap. Messi has 17 goal contributions in the period since the World Cup, four more than Sullivan, and has compiled them at 39 years old. Sullivan's tally of 13 was the figure the commentator cited. Supporters' objections centered less on the arithmetic than on the suggestion that the two players belonged in the same conversation.

Replies on X ranged from sarcasm to measured defense of the player. "Yes, he's exactly like Messi, in that he is a footballer," one user wrote. Another asked, "Is the comparison that Messi was 16 once too?" A third post dismissed it as "literally a void comment," while one supporter proposed a different measuring stick: "Hopefully he's as good as Landon Donovan." A further reply separated the player from the debate: "He's a great prospect but stop comparing players to Messi."

Team USA has three more friendlies remaining in this international break. The schedule offers Sullivan additional chances to feature as he continues a scoring run that began with his club. Viewers in the United States watched the Peru friendly on TNT.