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Updated Qatar Official travel advisory

U.S. Withdraws From FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar Citing Security Concerns

The U.S. Soccer Federation has cancelled its participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar citing regional security concerns. The decision follows a Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department and related restrictions on diplomatic staff.

Published Source: BusinessDay
Affected country
Qatar
Location / route
Doha, Qatar
Published by source
November 12, 2026 8:00 PM CST
Effective period
Not stated
Last verified
November 13, 2026 7:13 PM CST
Status
Updated

Official guidance

Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State and security restrictions for diplomatic personnel in the region.

Summary of official information. Always check the official source and follow the guidance of the authorities. UECN does not issue risk ratings; the absence of an alert does not mean that a destination is safe.

Photo: BusinessDay

Update — November 13, 2026 7:13 PM CST: The U.S. Soccer Federation has cancelled its participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar citing regional security concerns. The decision follows a Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department and related restrictions on diplomatic staff.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced its withdrawal from the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, citing escalating regional security concerns. The decision, communicated to players on November 11, 2026, resulted in the immediate cancellation of the national team's preparation camp and tournament entry.

According to an official message released by the federation, the withdrawal was prompted by an active Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State, alongside heightened security restrictions and guidance directed at American diplomatic personnel and their families in the region.

The tournament, scheduled to be held in Doha from November 19 to December 13, 2026, features 48 national teams. Qatar was designated by FIFA to host five consecutive annual editions of the competition from 2025 to 2029 to utilize existing infrastructure built for the 2022 World Cup.

Revision history

  1. Updated Official update applied: The U.S. Soccer Federation has cancelled its participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar citing regional…
  2. Active Published automatically from the official source

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