November 12: US Soccer has withdrawn its U17 men’s squad from this month’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar due to security concerns, according to sources briefed on the decision.
The concerns relate to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The players were told on Wednesday. US Soccer has yet to comment publicly.
Coach Alex Aldaz named his squad last week, with Philadelphia Union’s Malik Jakupovic, Chicago Fire’s Robert Turdean and LA Galaxy’s Vinny Garcia among the main names. The team was scheduled to begin training camp in Atlanta this week before traveling.
The tournament will start on November 19. The USA was drawn with Montenegro, Chile and Algeria, with their first match against Montenegro scheduled for November 21.
The decision comes after a series of disruptions to the sport in the region. Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, including a missile attack on Riyadh airport that killed at least 12 people, have already forced the AFC to push back the 2027 Asian Cup by almost a year. The Dakar Rally has been moved out of Saudi Arabia and the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition has also been postponed.
A national federation withdrawing a youth team from a FIFA tournament on security grounds is highly unusual and puts pressure on FIFA, which has represented Qatar as host. Qatar will host the competition every year from 2025 to 2029.
FIFA expanded the tournament to 48 teams last year and now holds it annually. The USA’s best finish remains fourth in 1999. Last year they went out to Morocco in the Round of 16.
It is unclear whether FIFA will replace the US or whether other federations will follow suit.