The United States withdrew its under-17 men’s national team from the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday 11 November 2026, eight days before the tournament’s 19 November start, citing safety and security concerns in the Middle East.
US Soccer told players in a letter that it was cancelling the team’s World Cup pre-camp and its planned participation. The letter pointed to the US State Department’s Level 3 Travel Advisory for Qatar and related directives for embassy staff and families, and said the federation was “no longer able to participate in the tournament.” The advisory cites the risk of armed conflict.
The tournament runs from 19 November to 13 December 2026 with 48 teams. It is the second edition under FIFA’s annual format, and Qatar is hosting five consecutive editions from 2025 to 2029. The United States had been drawn in a group with Montenegro, Chile and Algeria.
