United States Soccer have confirmed that their men’s Under-17s will not take part in the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the federation informing players and coaching staff on Wednesday, 11 November, that the team has withdrawn from the tournament.
In a letter sent to the squad, US Soccer pointed to a United States Department of State Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar. Level 3 advice tells American citizens to reconsider travel due to the risk of armed conflict, and it also flags potential threats to civilian airports and critical infrastructure in the context of regional instability.
US Soccer stressed that the decision was driven by player welfare. 'The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority,' the federation said in its statement.
FIFA confirmed it had been informed of the USA’s withdrawal, but said its own security assessment of Qatar remains unchanged. The governing body added that it remains in contact with Qatari authorities as preparations continue for the competition. That confirmation matters for teams in the same group because the USA’s exit affects the tournament schedule from the outset.
Group J disrupted
The United States had been drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria. Their planned fixtures included a meeting with Montenegro on Friday, 21 November, followed by matches against Chile and Algeria.
With the United States withdrawing, FIFA will now determine how Group J will be managed in line with competition arrangements. The knock-on effect could include whether scheduled matches are removed, rescheduled, or adjusted, but no specific alternative format has been publicly confirmed in the information released so far.
The 48-team competition is scheduled to run from Tuesday, 19 November to Saturday, 13 December in Qatar. Qatar has also been named as the host for the men’s Under-17 World Cup on an annual basis through 2029. The USA had reached the round of 32 at the 2025 edition but will miss the 2026 tournament, after this latest decision focused on security concerns linked to the current regional climate.
