US Withdraws from FIFA U-17 World Cup

The US Soccer Federation (USSF) informed FIFA on Wednesday, 11 November, that it would not take part in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which begins on 19 November in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The federation cited the safety of its young national team players and technical staff.

The decision was based on a US State Department travel advisory for Qatar. The department urged American citizens to reconsider their travel plans because of the risk of armed conflict and required government employees to obtain special permission. The USSF leadership then decided not to send the team to the region.

According to three American officials who spoke to The New York Times, Iranian plans targeting current and former US officials have accelerated significantly in recent weeks. Although the scope of the threats is still debated, security measures in Washington have been raised to the highest level. It was also reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent left his residence because of the threats and moved to a heavily guarded military base.

The federation sent an information letter to the young players who had qualified for the tournament. The letter said they would no longer be able to take part and stressed that the health and safety of the players and staff are the priority. Because the withdrawal was made less than 30 days before the start of the tournament, the USSF will be fined 20,000 Swiss francs and face disciplinary action. The tournament is still scheduled to begin on 19 November. Before the withdrawal, the United States was due to play Montenegro, Algeria and Chile in Group J.