US Pulls Under-17 Team From Qatar World Cup Over Security Fears

U.S. Soccer has withdrawn its men’s under-17 national team from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, pulling the squad out of the tournament eight days before it was due to begin.

The federation told the players of the decision on Wednesday, 11 November, in a letter cancelling both the team’s pre-tournament camp and its planned participation in the event “in light of current circumstances”. The 48-team tournament is scheduled to run from 19 November to 13 December in Doha, with the final on 13 December.

The withdrawal leaves a gap in Group J, where the United States had been due to open against Montenegro on 21 November, before facing Chile and Algeria. FIFA confirmed on Thursday that it had been informed of the decision, but said it had not named a replacement team.

A letter to players, eight days before kick-off

The letter, a copy of which was provided to Reuters, said the federation was cancelling the World Cup pre-camp and the team’s participation. It cited the U.S. State Department’s Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar and related directives for embassy staff and their families.

“The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority,” the letter said.

U.S. Soccer said it would notify the players’ clubs on Wednesday and asked the players not to comment publicly until FIFA announced the decision. The 21-player squad had been picked by coach Alex Aldaz the previous week, with players drawn from clubs in the United States, England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.

The decision came as a shock to the squad. FIFA had published the official player lists for all 48 teams on the same day the players were told, with the American names still included.

The travel advisory behind the decision

The State Department updated its advisory for Qatar last month, urging Americans to reconsider travel because of the risk of armed conflict. The update cited Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on civilian airports and critical infrastructure, according to Reuters.

Qatar and the wider Gulf have been on high alert since the war in the Middle East began in February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which retaliated by targeting Gulf countries allied with Washington. Iran has fired missiles and drones at targets in Qatar this year, and a Formula One race is still scheduled in Doha this month.

The advisory reflects the security situation in the Gulf, and it is the key factor in the American decision. FIFA said it understood the withdrawal in light of the existing Level 3 advisory, and U.S. Soccer’s letter pointed to the same guidance, together with the directives covering embassy staff and families.

FIFA says its security assessment is unchanged

FIFA said in a statement that its security assessments remained unchanged and that no new developments affecting the security situation around the tournament had occurred. The governing body added that other sporting events had been staged safely in Qatar this year.

“FIFA understands that U.S. Soccer’s decision was made in light of the existing U.S. Level 3 travel advisory,” FIFA said.

The statement made no mention of a replacement team. The Dominican Republic finished second in the CONCACAF qualifying group that the United States won, and would be the natural candidate to take the place, but FIFA has not confirmed any change to the draw.

Qatar is hosting each edition of the annual boys’ Under-17 World Cup from 2025 to 2029, and the 2026 edition is only the second to use the expanded 48-team format.

What happens to Group J now

Under FIFA’s tournament regulations, a team that withdraws fewer than 30 days before the opening game should be fined “at least” 20,000 Swiss francs, about $24,000, by the FIFA disciplinary committee. The United States withdrew eight days before kick-off, so the minimum fine applies.

It is not yet clear whether FIFA will promote another team into Group J or whether Montenegro, Chile and Algeria will play a three-team group. The tournament opens on 19 November, and the United States’ first match had been scheduled for two days later.

For the players, the decision ends a World Cup campaign before it began. Several members of the squad play for European clubs, and the withdrawal means they will return to their club season instead of travelling to Doha.