The United States is withdrawing from the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Men's World Cup in Qatar due to security concerns, according to a person close to the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because U.S. Soccer had not yet officially withdrawn from the competition. The news was first reported by U.S. Soccer Collective.
U.S. Soccer informed players and their families of the decision on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The 48-team tournament is scheduled to run from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13 in Doha, with all matches set for the Aspire Zone complex except the final, which is planned for Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Last week, U.S. head coach Alex Aldaz had announced a 21-player roster for the competition, with the Americans scheduled to open against Montenegro on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Despite the U.S. move, there has so far been no indication that other countries are following suit. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, FIFA published the official squad lists for all 48 participants, including the USA. FIFA declined to comment when reached by USA TODAY Sports.
Tournament regulations state that a team withdrawing within 30 days of the competition's start is subject to a fine of at least 20,000 Swiss francs, around $24,000. A replacement team can also be added, with the regulations noting that the FIFA Council or the relevant committee may decide to replace the participating member association in question with another association.
The Middle East has been roiled by instability following the U.S. and Israel's decision to launch attacks on Iran in February. That instability has extended to Qatar, which has been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones this year, with two vessels hit in waters off the country in separate incidents within the past two weeks. The U.S. State Department currently lists Qatar with a Level 3 travel advisory, warning visitors to reconsider travel due to the risk of armed conflict.
Earlier this month, the Asian Football Confederation announced it had postponed the 2027 Asian Cup, originally scheduled for host country Saudi Arabia, amid deadly attacks there.
The 2026 U-17 World Cup marks the second edition of the competition's new annual, 48-team format and the second of five consecutive editions set to be hosted by Qatar.
