USSF cites State Department advisory about Qatar
Competition set to kick off in eight days
The United States men’s national team have pulled out of the Fifa U-17 World Cup, due to kick off in Qatar in just over a week. In a letter sent to players explaining the decision, the US Soccer Federation cited safety concerns for players and staff, referring them to the US state department’s travel 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.
“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 that Fifa were informed of the federation’s decision on Wednesday.
Fifa’s regulations for the U-17 World Cups stipulate 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). Fifa has been approached for comment.
The ongoing situation in the Middle East – involving interconnected conflicts among multiple states – has already led to multiple cancellations of international sporting events. The 2027 Asian Cup, the continental soccer championship, was due to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027 but was postponed nearly a year due to the Houthi-Saudi conflict and the 2026 Iran war. More recently, Qatar pulled out of hosting rugby’s 2028 Nations Championship finals due to uncertainty around the conflicts.
Multiple missile strikes by the Houthis on Riyadh’s international airport killed more than a dozen people and wounded hundreds in October. Later that month, US diplomats were told to leave Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Houthi attacks.
Qatar has been acting as a mediator in talks between the US and Iran aimed at ending the nations’ conflict, which started with the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran earlier this year. A tanker off the coast of Qatar was attacked in October amid thetensions.
The U-17 World Cup is still due to begin on 19 November in Doha. The US were placed in Group J along with Montenegro, Algeria, and Chile. The US roster that was due to compete in the tournament does not contain any household names, but does feature a number of promising young players in MLS and abroad.
