FIFA U-17 World Cup: US pulls out of tournament citing 'wellbeing of our players and staff'

The United States has decided to pull out of the FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup, scheduled to be played from November 19 in Qatar. The decision was taken to ensure the safety of players and staff due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East region, with several states engaged in armed conflicts. The US, as per FIFA rules, may have to pay a fine for pulling out of the tournament this late. The apex sports body, as per a report in The Guardian, was informed about the decision on Wednesday (Nov 11).

US pulls out of FIFA U-17 World Cup

Informing the players about the decision in a letter, US Soccer wrote: "Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances... we are no longer able to participate in the tournament. The wellbeing of our players and staff will always be our top priority. Please accept our deepest appreciation for your commitment to US Soccer and our shared disappointment about these circumstances."

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Notably, the USA had co-hosted the FIFA World Cup 2026 along with Mexico and Canada earlier this year. During the event, Iran, a major party in the ongoing Middle East tensions, had to enter and leave the US hurriedly after playing its group-stage matches because of the adverse situation between the two countries.

Why US decided not to play U-17 World Cup

The crisis escalated when Israel and the US launched an attack on Iran in February earlier this year, which saw Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei killed. Since then, multiple Middle East states have been engaged in conflicts, with Saudi Arabia in a tussle with the Houthis and US bases in the region being attacked by Iran.

Among other sports, the 2027 AFC Asian Cup (continental football tournament), scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027, has been postponed by nearly a year. Qatar has opted out of hosting the 2028 rugby Nations Championship finals. Formula 1, meanwhile, has decided to go ahead with its season-ending races - 29 November in Qatar and then 6 December in Abu Dhabi, UAE.