Barcelona beat the Philadelphia Union 3-1 in MLS on Saturday, with Messi scoring two goals in his first game back after being hurt. Luis Suarez also scored in the easy win, and Union’s 14-year-old star player Sullivan watched from the bench before meeting Messi after the game was over.
Sullivan has played for the US Under-17 team and is a youth international. He made his debut for the club in July, in a 5-1 win over New England. After that, he broke Freddy Adu’s record as the youngest player in MLS history and has already agreed to join Manchester City when he turns 18.
On Instagram, Sullivan wrote, “Such an honor to meet my idol.” He also put up an old photo of himself as a kid standing next to Messi’s Ballon d’Or trophy from when he played for Barcelona.
The next game Messi will play in is on Thursday when Miami plays Atlanta United. Sullivan, on the other hand, could play in his second professional game when the Philadelphia Union plays New York City on Thursday.