Doha, Qatar: The Dominican Republic will compete at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 following the withdrawal of US Soccer from the tournament.
The Bureau of the Youth Boys’ Competitions Committee has confirmed the Dominican Republic Football Association as the replacement participating member association, following consultation with Concacaf and in accordance with article 6 paragraph 8 of the Regulations for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025-2029.
FIFA said that the decision reflects the Dominican Republic’s strong performance in qualifying, where they finished as the highest-ranked non-qualified team in Group E.
The Dominican Republic and USA both finished the group on seven points, with their head-to-head encounter ending in a draw. Qatar 2026 will be Dominican Republic’s first participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
FIFA also stated that it looks forward to welcoming the Dominican Republic to Qatar, where they will join the hosts and ten teams that are already in the country and those that are scheduled to arrive in the coming days.
