The decision was communicated to players and officials on Wednesday following consultations between the US Soccer Federation, its internal security team and the US State Department.
According to The Guardian, the federation informed players of its decision in a letter, referencing a US State Department Level 3 travel advisory which urges American citizens to reconsider travelling to Qatar because of the potential risk of armed conflict.
A separate report by Yahoo Sports quoted a source familiar with the decision as saying that sending players aged 16 and 17 to the tournament under the prevailing security conditions was not considered a viable option.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) also reported that the federation notified FIFA, the players and team officials of the withdrawal on Wednesday morning.
In its communication to the players, the US Soccer Federation said the decision was taken in the interest of their safety.
“Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances, including the U.S. State Department’s Level 3 Travel Advisory for Qatar and related directives for Embassy staff and families, we are no longer able to participate in the tournament. The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority,” the letter stated.
The federation had earlier moved the team’s pre-tournament training camp from Qatar to the US national training centre near Atlanta as a precautionary measure.
The United States was drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria. The team was scheduled to open its campaign against Montenegro on November 21.
The 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 19 to December 13, with 48 national teams expected to participate.
The withdrawal came only hours after FIFA announced that the official squad lists for all 48 participating countries had been finalised.
The US Soccer Federation had announced its 21-man squad on November 6, with head coach Alex Aldaz selecting players from clubs in the United States and Europe.
The federation’s decision means the United States will not take part in the tournament despite having completed preparations and named its final squad.
