United States withdraws from U-17 World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns

The United States has withdrawn from the men's Under-17 World Cup in Qatar amid concerns about security in the Middle East, with the tournament due to begin on November 19. TyC Sports reported the decision on Wednesday, citing The Athletic's reporting that players had been informed of the withdrawal that day.

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The Guardian reported that US Soccer cited the State Department's level-3 Qatar travel advisory in a letter explaining the withdrawal to players. TyC Sports said U.S. Soccer Collective had first reported the news. The decision comes shortly after the announcement of the American squad for the competition.

US Soccer named Alex Aldaz's 21-player roster on November 6. Its announcement placed the Americans in Group J, with an opening match against Montenegro scheduled for November 21, followed by Chile on November 24 and Algeria on November 27. All three group fixtures were assigned to the Aspire Zone Sports Complex in Al Rayyan/Doha.

The selected squad included Philadelphia Union forward Malik Jakupovic, Chicago Fire forward Robert Turdean and LA Galaxy midfielder Vinny Garcia. According to US Soccer, 14 players came from MLS clubs and seven were based overseas. Nine members of the squad had also been involved in qualifying, while the age profile comprised 18 players born in 2009 and three born in 2010.

The Americans had secured their place by finishing first in their qualifying group in February in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. US Soccer's roster announcement recorded wins over the hosts and St. Kitts and Nevis, followed by a draw against the Dominican Republic. Jakupovic contributed eight of the team's 19 goals during that qualifying campaign.

This year's competition is the second since the event moved to an annual, 48-team format, with Qatar hosting the editions from 2025 through 2029. TyC Sports noted that the United States' best finish remains fourth place in 1999. In the 2025 tournament, the Americans were eliminated by Morocco in the round of 32. The withdrawal ends their involvement in this year's edition before the group stage begins.