US pulls out of U-17 World Cup in Qatar citing safety concerns
The United States has withdrawn from the Fifa U-17 World Cup in Qatar, informing Fifa of the decision on Wednesday and citing safety concerns linked to a US state department travel advisory, with the tournament due to kick off in eight days.
In a letter to players, US Soccer referred them to the state department advisory for Qatar, which “encourages citizens to reconsider travel to the country “due to risk of armed conflict” and asks government employees to obtain special authorization to do so.” The letter added: “Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances … we are no longer able to participate in the tournament,” US Soccer’s letter to players reads. “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.” A US Soccer spokesperson said the federation would not go into details about how it reached its decision.
The Guardian understands Fifa was informed of the federation’s decision on Wednesday. Fifa’s regulations for the U-17 World Cups state that qualified nations must participate in the tournament or be fined, with withdrawal within 30 days of the tournament’s start resulting in a fine of CHF20,000 (about $24,000).
The US were placed in Group J alongside Montenegro, Algeria and Chile. The US roster that was due to compete does not contain any household names but features a number of promising young players in MLS and abroad.
The broader regional situation has already affected international sport: the 2027 Asian Cup was postponed nearly a year, and Qatar pulled out of hosting rugby’s 2028 Nations Championship finals because of uncertainty linked to the conflicts.
Motor sport schedules in the region remain in place, with the final races of the Formula One season scheduled for 29 November in Qatar and 6 December in Abu Dhabi.
Security incidents cited in reporting include multiple missile strikes by the Houthis on Riyadh’s international airport in October that killed 13 people and wounded hundreds, a subsequent order for US diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks, a tanker off the coast of Qatar being attacked in October, and Qatar’s role as mediator in talks between the US and Iran aimed at ending the countries’ conflict, which the reporting says started with attacks by the US and Israel on Iran earlier this year.
The U-17 World Cup is still due to begin on 19 November in Doha. Fifa has been approached for comment.