US withdraws from FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar
US Soccer has withdrawn its men’s under-17 team from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar after the US State Department advised Americans to reconsider travelling to the country because of the risk of armed conflict.
The US Soccer Federation told players it would not send a delegation to the 48-team tournament, which is scheduled to run from November 19 to December 13, and cited safety concerns for players and staff.The United States had been drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Algeria and Chile, with the tournament still due to begin in Doha.US Soccer said in a letter to players: “Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances … we are no longer able to participate in the tournament. The wellbeing of our players and staff will always be our top priority.“Please accept our deepest appreciation for your commitment to US Soccer and our shared disappointment about these circumstances.”The federation said it would notify the players’ clubs and asked players to refrain from commenting publicly until FIFA announced the withdrawal.The decision leaves US Soccer facing a potential fine, with FIFA’s tournament regulations providing for a penalty of CHF20,000, around US$24,000, when a team withdraws within 30 days of the start of the competition.The State Department issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar in October, advising US citizens to reconsider travel because of the risk of armed conflict and requiring government employees to obtain special authorisation to travel there.The advisory cited Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure in the region and warned that hostilities could escalate beyond the areas directly affected.The advisory followed a deadly attack on Riyadh’s international airport in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, where strikes in October killed 13 people and injured hundreds.The US withdrawal is the latest disruption to an international sporting event in the region, after the Asian Football Confederation postponed the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia by almost a year because of the conflict.Qatar has also withdrawn as host of rugby’s 2028 Nations Championship finals, while FIFA’s under-17 tournament remains scheduled to open on November 19.