# US pulls out of U-17 World Cup

> US Soccer drops U-17 World Cup after Middle East conflict safety risks.
- Title: US pulls out of U-17 World Cup · the Guardian | Shortify
- Summary: US Soccer drops U-17 World Cup after Middle East conflict safety risks. US Soccer withdraws from 2026 U-17 World Cup in Qatar due to safety concerns from…
- Keywords: us soccer, u-17 world cup, qatar, middle east conflict, safety concerns, fifa regulations, the Guardian
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/football/2026/nov/11/usa-u-17-world-cup-qatar-withdrawal-middle-east-conflict
- Published: 2026-11-11T21:54:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: us soccer, u-17 world cup, qatar, middle east conflict, safety concerns, fifa regulations, sports
## US Soccer withdraws from U-17 World Cup
US men’s national team pulled out of Fifa U-17 World Cup in Qatar due to safety concerns.

> Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances … we are no longer able to participate in the tournament
## US cites state department advisory
US Soccer referred players to US state department’s travel advisory for Qatar due to risk of armed conflict.

> due to risk of armed conflict
## Fifa fines for withdrawal
Fifa fines qualified nations CHF20,000 if they withdraw within 30 days of tournament start.

> withdrawal within 30 days of the tournament’s start resulting in a fine of CHF20,000
## Middle East conflict impacts sports
Middle East conflict caused postponements of 2027 Asian Cup and Qatar’s rugby event.

> The 2027 Asian Cup was due to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027 but has been postponed nearly a year
## Key takeaway

US Soccer withdraws from 2026 U-17 World Cup in Qatar due to safety concerns from Middle East conflict.