United States withdraw from Under-17 World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns

The United States have withdrawn from the men's Under-17 World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns, with the tournament due to begin on November 19. BBC Sport reported that U.S. Soccer informed players in a letter seen by Reuters, citing the security situation and official American travel advice. The decision also cancels the team's planned pre-tournament camp.

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The federation pointed to the U.S. State Department's Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar and related instructions affecting embassy staff and families. The advisory was updated in October and urged Americans to reconsider travelling because of the risk of armed conflict. According to Reuters, the warning cited Houthi attacks in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, including strikes affecting civilian airports and critical infrastructure.

U.S. Soccer told players that protecting them and the staff took priority, while acknowledging the work already invested in preparing for the competition. Reuters reported that the federation would inform the players' clubs on Wednesday and had asked squad members not to comment publicly before FIFA announced the withdrawal. FIFA had not immediately responded to the news agency's request for comment.

Yahoo Sports reported that the federation notified FIFA, players and staff on Wednesday. It had already moved the team's preparation camp from Qatar to its national training centre near Atlanta as a precaution. The withdrawal ends plans for what would have been a sixth successive U.S. appearance at the tournament, rather than simply changing the team's travel or training arrangements.

The competition is scheduled to run until December 13. The United States had been drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria, with their opening match against Montenegro set for November 21. USA TODAY Sports reported that head coach Alex Aldaz had announced a 21-player squad the previous week, before the decision to pull out was communicated to players and their families.

The event was planned as a 48-team competition. Reuters reported that the Americans reached the round of 32 at the previous edition, also held in Qatar, which is scheduled to stage the tournament annually through 2029. The reports did not set out how FIFA would handle the vacant U.S. place or the affected Group J fixtures.