USA withdraws from Under-17 World Cup in Qatar over armed conflict risk
The United States announced on 12 November 2026 that it was withdrawing its team from the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar because of the risk of armed conflict, US Soccer said in a letter to players seen by Reuters. The federation said the decision followed guidance from the US Department of State.
The 48-team tournament is scheduled to run from 19 November to 13 December in Qatar. The United States were due to play group games against Montenegro, Chile and Algeria. The USA reached the last 32 of last year's Under-17 World Cup; this edition is the first of five successive tournaments to be held annually in Qatar.
In the letter, US Soccer said it made the decision "in light of current circumstances" and cited a level three travel advisory issued by the US Department of State last month. That advisory followed a day in which Yemen's Houthi movement carried out a deadly attack on an airport in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The letter also referenced continuing air strikes on Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
The State Department advisory singled out Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure and warned that hostilities "have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area". The update told Americans to reconsider travel to Qatar because of "risk of armed conflict".
US Soccer stressed the safety of its personnel, saying, "The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority," and added that it would notify players' clubs. The federation told the squad to await formal announcements from tournament authorities before making any public statements.
The wider regional tensions have affected other fixtures: the 2027 Asian Cup, which was due to take place in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February, has been postponed by almost a year because of the conflict. The wife of England striker Ollie Watkins, who plays in the Saudi Pro League, has taken their children back to the UK until the situation "calms down".
US Soccer has asked players not to comment publicly until their withdrawal has been announced by tournament organisers Fifa, leaving the timing of any formal confirmation to the event authorities.
