The United States Soccer Federation has withdrawn its men’s national team from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, citing safety concerns linked to the prevailing security situation in the region.
In a letter sent to players on Wednesday, the federation announced the cancellation of the team’s pre-tournament training camp and its participation in the competition, citing“current circumstances”.
US Soccer said the decision was informed by the US State Department’s Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar, which urges Americans to reconsider travel because of the risk of armed conflict. The advisory also includes directives affecting US embassy staff and their families.
“The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority,” the federation said in the letter. The federation added that it would notify the players’ respective clubs of the decision and asked the players to refrain from making public comments until FIFA issues an official announcement. FIFA had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the development.
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The 48-team tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to December 13, with the United States originally set to begin its Group J campaign against Montenegro on November 21 before facing Chile and Algeria.
The US reached the round of 32 at the previous edition, also hosted by Qatar. The country is scheduled to host the annual tournament through 2029.
