US withdraws from FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns

By Adegboyega Adeleye

The United States has withdrawn its men’s Under-17 team from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns after a State Department advisory warned Americans to reconsider travel because of the risk of armed conflict.

In a letter to players seen by Reuters, US Soccer said it had cancelled the team’s pre-tournament camp and participation “in light of current circumstances”. The federation cited the State Department’s Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar, updated last month, as well as related directives for embassy staff and their families.

The advisory referred to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian airports and critical infrastructure, and warned that hostilities could escalate. US Soccer said it would notify players’ clubs and asked players not to comment publicly until FIFA announced the withdrawal.

The 48-team tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to December 13. The United States had been due to open against Montenegro on November 21, before facing Chile and Algeria in Group J.

FIFA told Reuters it had been informed of the decision and would follow the tournament regulations. The governing body said its security assessments remained unchanged and that no new developments had affected the security situation around the tournament.

FIFA added that it remained in contact with relevant authorities and looked forward to the tournament, noting that Qatar had hosted several international events in recent months.

The United States reached the round of 32 at last year’s edition, also held in Qatar. The country is set to host the tournament annually through 2029.

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