USA withdraw from Under-17 World Cup in Qatar over armed conflict risk

The United States have withdrawn from the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar because of the risk of armed conflict, BBC Sport reported. US Soccer communicated the decision in a letter to players seen by Reuters, citing current circumstances and travel advice issued by the US Department of State. The withdrawal comes before the tournament's scheduled opening on 19 November.

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The competition is scheduled to run until 13 December and was organised as a 48-team event. The American team had been drawn to face Montenegro, Chile and Algeria in the group stage. The BBC report did not identify a replacement for the United States or announce changes to those fixtures, leaving the arrangements for the affected group unconfirmed in that account.

US Soccer pointed to a level three travel advisory for Qatar issued the previous month. According to the BBC, the advisory urged Americans to reconsider travel because of the danger of armed conflict. It cited Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure and warned that fighting could spread quickly beyond the area immediately affected. The warning concerned the potential for escalation, rather than a reported attack on the tournament itself.

The advisory followed a deadly attack by Yemen's Houthi movement on an airport in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Air strikes have also continued in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the BBC reported. In its letter, US Soccer placed the safety of players and staff at the centre of its decision and said it would notify the players' clubs about the withdrawal.

Players were also asked not to comment publicly before tournament organiser Fifa announced the team's withdrawal, according to the letter described in the report. That request accompanied the federation's notification to its squad; the BBC account did not set out a timetable for a subsequent Fifa announcement or provide further details about the tournament's response.

The withdrawal follows wider disruption to football in the region. The Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for 7 January to 5 February 2027, has been postponed. In a separate report, the BBC said the Asian Football Confederation cited logistical and travel difficulties and proposed new dates of 23 December 2027 to 21 January 2028, to be submitted to Fifa for approval.