A group of American teenagers will not be getting on a plane to Doha after all. US Soccer has withdrawn its boys’ Under-17 squad from this year’s World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off on 19 November, and FIFA confirmed the decision on Thursday.
The federation pointed to the State Department, which since 23 October has warned US citizens to think twice before visiting Qatar, citing a possible armed conflict, and requires government staff to get special clearance to go. The advisory followed attacks in neighbouring Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, including missile strikes on Riyadh’s international airport in October that killed 13 people. In a letter to players, US Soccer said it could no longer take part “in light of current circumstances” and called the welfare of players and staff its top priority. A pre-tournament camp was scrapped too.
For the squad, it is a blow. Head coach Alex Aldaz had named 21 players only last week, and the US were set to open against Montenegro on 21 November before group games with Chile and Algeria. At last year’s edition, also staged in Qatar, they went out in the round of 32. The Gulf state is hosting the expanded 48-team event every year through 2029.
FIFA is not moving anything. Its security assessments “remain unchanged”, the governing body said, adding that nothing new had altered the picture and pointing to events Qatar has staged in recent months, from MotoGP to the Diamond League. Tournament rules will apply, which means a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs for pulling out this close to kick-off. No replacement team has been named.
It is not the first event knocked off course by the fighting in the region. Asia’s continental championship, planned for Saudi Arabia in early 2027, now starts almost a year late.
