The United States has reportedly withdrawn its Under-17 men’s national team from the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar over security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
The decision was communicated to the players and staff on Wednesday, after the US Soccer Federation consulted its internal security team and the US State Department.
According to a report by The Guardian published on Wednesday, the federation cited safety concerns in a letter to players and pointed to a US State Department travel advisory urging Americans to reconsider travelling to Qatar because of the risk of armed conflict.
A separate report by Yahoo Sports, also published on Wednesday, quoted a person familiar with the decision as saying, “Sending 16- and 17-year-olds [to the tournament] given that situation was not tenable.”
Another report confirming the nation’s position from AFP said the federation notified FIFA, its players and staff of the decision on Wednesday morning.
In the letter to the players, the federation said, “Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances including the U.S. State Department’s Level 3 Travel Advisory for Qatar and related directives for Embassy staff and families, we are no longer able to participate in the tournament. The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority.”
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The US had earlier relocated its pre-tournament training camp from Qatar to its national training centre near Atlanta as a precaution.
The Americans were drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria and were scheduled to begin their campaign against Montenegro on November 21.
The 2026 tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to December 13 in Qatar, with 48 countries participating.
The withdrawal came just hours after FIFA announced on Wednesday that the official squad lists for all 48 participating teams had been confirmed.
The US Soccer Federation had named its 21-man squad on November 6, with head coach Alex Aldaz selecting players from clubs in the United States and Europe.
