US WITHDRAWS U-17 TEAM FROM FIFA WORLD CUP IN QATAR OVER SECURITY CONCERNS
Read Time:1 Minute, 38 Second
By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The United States has withdrawn its men’s Under-17 team from the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar over security concerns following a US State Department travel advisory warning Americans against travelling to the country due to the potential risk of armed conflict.
In a letter to players obtained by Reuters, US Soccer announced the cancellation of the team’s pre-tournament training camp and participation in the competition, citing “current circumstances”.
The federation referenced the State Department’s Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar, which was updated last month, alongside related directives affecting embassy staff and their families.
READ MORE…
UNN CONFIRMS DEATHS OF FOUR STUDENTS, DECLARES THREE DAYS OF MOURNING
The advisory highlighted Houthi attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilian airports and critical infrastructure, warning that the situation could escalate into wider hostilities.
US Soccer said it would inform the players’ respective clubs about the decision and urged the team members to refrain from making public comments until FIFA formally announced the withdrawal.
The 48-team competition is scheduled to take place from November 19 to December 13, with the United States initially drawn in Group J alongside Montenegro, Chile and Algeria.
The American team was scheduled to begin its campaign against Montenegro on November 21.
FIFA confirmed to Reuters that it had been notified of the withdrawal, adding that it would implement the relevant tournament regulations.
The world football governing body maintained that its security assessments remained unchanged, insisting that no recent developments had altered the security situation surrounding the competition.
FIFA also said it remained in contact with relevant authorities and looked forward to hosting the tournament, noting that Qatar had successfully staged several international sporting events in recent months.
The United States reached the round of 32 at the previous edition of the competition, which was also hosted by Qatar. The country is scheduled to host the tournament annually until 2029.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0