United States withdraws U17 team from World Cup in Qatar
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
The United States has decided to withdraw its men’s under-17 team from the football World Cup in Qatar because of security risks linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Players were informed of the withdrawal just over a week before the tournament, scheduled to begin on 19 November, according to US Soccer Collective and The Athletic, citing anonymous sources.
The United States has withdrawn its under-17 football team from the U17 World Cup in Qatar because of security concerns related to the Middle East, US media reported on Wednesday. Players were informed of the decision just over a week before the tournament was due to begin on 19 November, according to US Soccer Collective and The Athletic, citing anonymous sources.
The US team was due to compete in a group with Montenegro, Chile and Algeria. US Soccer, the governing body for football in the United States, had not immediately confirmed the withdrawal and had not responded to an AFP request for comment.
Several sporting competitions in the Middle East have been affected by the regional conflict. The WTA Finals, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia, are instead taking place in Indian Wells in the United States, while the Jeddah Formula 1 Grand Prix was cancelled and the Bahrain race was postponed and then rescheduled in Malaysia, according to information reported by Citizen Digital.
FIFA has organised the U17 World Cup annually since 2025. Qatar is hosting five consecutive editions after organising the 2022 men’s World Cup.
