US Soccer has withdrawn its men's U-17 team from the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, just eight days before the tournament's opening match. The federation confirmed the decision on Wednesday, November 11, and also cancelled the squad's planned pre-tournament training camp in Atlanta.
The withdrawal comes despite head coach Alex Aldaz having already announced his 21-player squad the previous week. US Soccer cited the State Department's Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar, issued on October 23, which urged American citizens to "reconsider travel to Qatar due to risk of armed conflict" and referenced attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Players learned of the decision through a letter from the federation. "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," the letter stated. It also read: "We are extremely proud of the preparation by our players and coaches to represent the US in the World Cup. Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances, including the US 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."
Among the players set to feature for the United States were Philadelphia Union prospect Malik Jakupovic, Chicago Fire's Robert Turdean and LA Galaxy's Vinny Garcia. The squad had been drawn into Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria, with the opening match against Montenegro scheduled for November 21. The withdrawal halts the US bid to improve on last year's round-of-32 exit and chase its best-ever finish, a fourth-place result from 1999.
Could US Soccer face a FIFA fine?
Under FIFA's tournament regulations, associations that withdraw fewer than 30 days before the opening match face a minimum fine of 20,000 Swiss francs, approximately $24,000, with FIFA able to impose additional sanctions depending on the circumstances. The regulations also allow FIFA to appoint another association to replace a withdrawing team, though FIFA has not publicly confirmed what it intends to do about the vacant spot.
There is also an unusual wrinkle: FIFA published official squad lists for all 48 participating nations on Wednesday, and the United States still appeared among them. US Soccer had not immediately issued a formal update on the withdrawal, and FIFA did not respond to requests for comment.
The tournament itself remains scheduled to run from November 19 through December 13, with Qatar hosting the expanded 48-team competition for a second consecutive year as part of FIFA's plan to stage the men's U-17 World Cup there annually from 2025 through 2029.
