US Soccer Statement After Pulling Team Out of U17 World Cup in Qatar

The FIFA under-17 World Cup kicks off in a week’s time in Qatar, and it’s now been revealed that the US will not be represented at the tournament after withdrawing its side due to security concerns, according to US Soccer Collective.

FIFA announced in 2024 that the tournament would take place annually rather than every two years, with the first five iterations of the new format set to be held in Qatar. The Middle Eastern nation has risen to prominence as a host country for football tournaments since holding the 2022 Men’s World Cup.

While FIFA may benefit from working with the wealthy Qatari government, the decision to hold the next five U17 World Cups in the Arab nation appears to have come at the expense of the U17 USMNT.

Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and political tensions between the US and the region have prompted the Stars and Stripes to withdraw.

US Share Statement About U17 World Cup Withdrawal

One of football’s showpiece youth tournaments, which has unearthed a number of talented players over the years, commences next Thursday, but it’ll now be without one of the biggest nations on the planet.

The US, who had been drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria, will not longer participate in the competition in the Middle East.

The current travel advisory for Qatar from the US Department of State is at a Level 3, with guidance urging people to reconsider travel to the country due to the risk of armed conflict.

“We are writing to inform you of the difficult decision to cancel our World Cup pre-camp and our planned participation in the World Cup,” US Soccer’s statement to their under-17 players read.

The letter sent by US Soccer to the players on Wednesday was obtained by the Athletic.

FIFA reportedly have the ability to replace the North American country in the tournament, although a direct replacement is yet to be formally announced. Given that sourcing a replacement would require a team convening at incredibly short notice, it’s possible FIFA keep Group J at just three teams.

The US were supposed to be one of the more exciting teams heading to the tournament, with the likes of Malik Jakupovic (Philadelphia Union), Robert Turdean (Chicago Fire) and Vinny Garcia (LA Galaxy) among the assortment of rising teen talents that coach Alex Aldaz was set to have at his disposal.