The United States withdrew its under-17 men’s national soccer team from the upcoming World Cup in Qatar just eight days before the tournament’s scheduled start, a decision that could result in a 20,000 Swiss franc fine, roughly $24,000.
US Soccer informed players and their families of the decision on Wednesday, citing safety fears tied to ongoing regional instability, according to reporting by USA TODAY Sports. The federation pointed directly to a U.S. Department of State Level 3 travel advisory issued on Oct. 23 for Qatar that urges citizens to reconsider travel due to the risk of armed conflict. The guidance also affects embassy staff and their families.
BREAKING NEWS U. S. Soccer is pulling the U17 USYNT out of the U17 World Cup for safety concerns. Not sure if other countries will do the same, but I am hearing U. S. is out. Players have been informed.
The 48-team tournament is scheduled to run from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13 in Doha, with matches primarily hosted at the Aspire Zone complex according to tournament plans. Head coach Alex Aldaz had named a 21-player roster earlier in November, which featured Philipp Eckle, a forward for Augsburg, as reported by AS USA.
The United States had been placed in Group J alongside Montenegro, Algeria, and Chile, with an opening match against Montenegro scheduled for Nov. 21. FIFA published the official squad lists for all 48 participating associations on Wednesday, Nov. 11, hours before the withdrawal became public, according to AS USA.
The wider Middle East has experienced heightened military tensions since February, impacting multiple athletic fixtures across the region following cross-border strikes. AS USA reported that Doha recorded at least 118 ballistic missiles, six drones, and hundreds of falling shrapnel incidents in residential areas without fatalities between Feb. 28 and November. The Asian Football Confederation postponed the 2027 Asian Cup earlier in November amid security incidents in Saudi Arabia.
The international federation published the 48 official squads for the Under-17 World Cup on the morning of Wednesday, November 11, hours before the USYNT’s withdrawal. The 2026 tournament is the second edition of the U-17 World Cup’s new annual, 48-team format and the second of five straight editions hosted by Qatar.
U. S. Soccer has pulled out of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Here is a letter that was sent to the players today pic.twitter.com/4e7UAKXr5H