The United States of America has officially withdrawn from competing in the 2026 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar due to safety concerns in connection to military tensions in the Middle East.
Qatar is one of a handful of countries in the Asian regional bloc that has been affected by the USA’s conflict with Iran that has led to human casualties and extensive damange to infrastructure.
America’s soccer federation communicated the decision to withdraw from the competition via an official statement released on Wednesday, November 11.
“We are writing to inform you of the difficult decision to cancel our World Cup pre-camp and our planned participation in the World Cup. We are extremely proud of the preparation by our players and coaches to represent the US in the World Cup.”
“Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances including the US State Department’s Level 3 Travel Advisory for Qatar and related directives for Embassy staff and families, we are no longer able to participate in the tournament. The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority” the statement read.
Prior to the withdrawal, USA was scheduled to play against Montenegro, Chile and Algeria in the group stage of the tournament.
