US Soccer removes team from U-17 World Cup in Qatar

The United States will no longer send a team to the Fifa Under-17 World Cup, which is set to begin next week in Qatar, US Soccer Collective reported Wednesday.

United States Soccer cited security concerns with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East for its decision to back out of the tournament, according to the report.

While the tournament is set to begin Nov 19, the United States’ opening game was set for Nov 21 against Montenegro. The team also had group matches scheduled against Algeria and Chile.

Unlike the Fifa World Cup, which is played once every four years, the U-17 tournament is now held every year. Qatar was selected to host the tournament for five consecutive years starting in 2025 when the United States was eliminated by Morocco in the round-of-32.

The best US finish in the U-17 tournament was fourth place in 1999.

The US roster was announced last week, and the team had been scheduled to convene in Atlanta for training camp this week