U.S. Soccer withdraws U-17 boys' team from Qatar World Cup citing safety concerns amid Iran conflict
The U.S. Soccer Federation has decided not to send its under-17 boys' national team to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, according to Yahoo Sports, citing safety concerns related to the ongoing war with Iran. The federation notified FIFA, players, and staff of the decision on Wednesday, which was reached that morning after consultation with its internal security team and the U.S. State Department, among others. The tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to December 13, and the U.S. had been set to appear for the sixth consecutive time. As an earlier precaution, the team's pre-tournament camp had already been relocated from Qatar to the federation's national training center near Atlanta, Georgia.
Sending 16- and 17-year-olds [to the tournament] given that situation was not tenable
Why it matters
For service providers: The decision reflects how geopolitical risk and government travel advisories can directly disrupt international youth competition planning.
For coaches: Coaching and support staff prepared for the tournament will not travel to Qatar following the federation's withdrawal.
For parents: Families of U-17 national team players, who had been briefed over a 10-day period on a rapidly evolving situation, will not send their children to Qatar for the tournament.
For athletes: High school-aged players selected for the U-17 national team will not compete in the World Cup, ending their tournament participation despite preparations already underway.
Read the full story at Yahoo Sports
Sources
- Yahoo Sports · Steven Goff: U.S. Soccer withdraws from U-17 World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns amid Iran war, sources say