U-17 World Cup: Dominican Republic replace the United States in Qatar

The Dominican Republic will play in the U-17 World Cup in Qatar in place of the United States. FIFA confirmed it on Thursday, November 12, a day after the U.S. team withdrew over security concerns.

It is a first for Haiti's neighbor, which had never taken part in the men's under-17 World Cup. The 48-team tournament runs from November 19 to December 13. Haiti, already qualified, open against France on November 19.

Why the Dominican Republic

FIFA made the choice after consulting Concacaf. In qualifying, the Dominican Republic and the United States finished level on points in their group after drawing with each other. The Americans went through on goal difference, which made the Dominicans the group's highest-ranked non-qualified team.

"The last 24 hours have been absolute madness, a mix of emotions and intense work," said Yelena Hazim Figuereo, general secretary of the Dominican Football Federation. "We will go to Qatar with great enthusiasm and a firm commitment to represent the Dominican Republic with dignity."

Little time to prepare

The Dominican team has just one week before the tournament starts. The federation says it will release details of its participation in the coming hours. It will be the country's third FIFA World Cup, after the men's U-20 World Cup in 2023 and the women's U-17 World Cup it hosted in 2024.

Eight Concacaf teams

FIFA has published the final list of 48 qualified teams, with the Dominican Republic now listed in place of the United States. Concacaf will be represented by eight teams: Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama.