U17 World Cup: United States withdraws from Qatar for security reasons, Haiti stays the course

The young American players will not be going to Qatar. The United States federation announced to its players and their families on Wednesday, November 11, that it was withdrawing its under-17 team from the U17 World Cup, which begins on November 19 in Doha. It cited security concerns.

The news was first reported by the specialist site U.S. Soccer Collective and then confirmed by a source to USA Today. On Thursday, November 12, FIFA confirmed the U.S. withdrawal.

FIFA defends the tournament's security

In a statement, FIFA said its "security assessments remain unchanged" and that no new developments have affected the security situation around the tournament. It said it understands U.S. Soccer's decision was made in light of Washington's Level 3 travel advisory, and that the tournament regulations will be applied. The U17 World Cup will kick off as scheduled on November 19.

A region under tension

The U.S. State Department classifies Qatar at level 3 of its travel advisories and asks to "reconsider" any travel due to the risk of armed conflict. The country has been targeted this year by Iranian missile and drone strikes, following American and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Two ships were also hit off the coast of Qatar in the last two weeks.

The United States, coached by Alex Aldaz, was scheduled to face Montenegro on Saturday, November 21. According to the competition regulations, a team that withdraws less than 30 days before the start of the tournament is subject to a fine of at least 20,000 Swiss francs, and FIFA may replace it with another selection. No other country has announced a withdrawal.

The Grenadiers still on their way

The young Grenadiers, who are finishing their preparation in Brazil, are not in the United States' group. Haiti will open its World Cup on November 19 against France, before facing Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group D. The Haitian Football Federation had not reacted publicly to the American decision at the time of publication.