CHICAGO, Nov. 12 — The United States has formally withdrawn its men’s national team from the upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, citing heightened regional security threats in the Middle East and an active U.S. State Department travel advisory, Reuters reported.
In an urgent letter sent to selected players on Wednesday, the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) confirmed the immediate cancellation of both the squad’s pre-tournament training camp and its participation in the main championship. The 48-nation tournament is scheduled to kick off on November 19 in Qatar, where the United States had been drawn into Group J alongside Montenegro, Algeria, and Chile.
The correspondence to players explicitly referenced the State Department’s Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”) advisory for Qatar, alongside enhanced security directives issued to U.S. Embassy personnel and their dependents in Doha.
“The overall safety and security of our players and staff is always our highest priority,” U.S. Soccer stated in the letter.
Federation officials noted that the respective club teams of the selected youth internationals were notified of the withdrawal on Tuesday. Players were instructed to refrain from making public statements regarding the decision until football’s global governing body, FIFA, issues an official announcement.
The U.S. State Department updated its travel guidance for Qatar last month, advising American citizens to reconsider travel due to heightened risks of armed conflict across the region. That advisory pointed specifically to recent Houthi drone and missile strikes originating from Yemen targeting civilian airports and critical infrastructure in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Scheduled to run from November 19 through December 13, the expanded youth showcase had slated the United States to open its Group J campaign against Montenegro on November 21, followed by fixtures against Chile and Algeria.
During the previous edition of the tournament in Qatar, the U.S. Under-17 squad advanced past the group stage before exiting in the Round of 32. Under FIFA’s multi-year hosting cycle, Qatar is slated to stage the annual Under-17 World Cup through 2029.