The Dominican Republic men's national team will play the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026, after the organization confirmed its entry as a replacement for the United States, which withdrew from the tournament for security reasons. The competition will be held between November 19 and December 13 and will bring together 48 national teams.
The decision makes the Dominican squad one of the Concacaf representatives in the tournament and allows it to achieve an unprecedented qualification in the men's category. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) reported that the spot was assigned after consultation with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and in accordance with the competition regulations.
According to FIFA, the Dominican Republic was the highest-ranked team that had not obtained direct qualification in Group E of the Concacaf qualifiers. The Caribbean team and the United States finished that stage with seven points, while the match between them ended in a draw.
The Dominican Football Federation (FDF) noted that the place in the World Cup reflects the national team's performance during the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Championship. The team finished second in its group on goal difference, after drawing with the American squad in the head-to-head match.
For the federation, the berth represents the result of a sporting performance that kept the…
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The Dominican Republic will play in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar 2026 after the United States withdrew for security reasons. (Courtesy: International Federation of Football and Associates)
The Dominican Republic men's national team will play in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026, after the governing body confirmed its entry as a replacement for the United States, which withdrew from the tournament for security reasons. The competition will be held from November 19 to December 13 and will bring together 48 national teams. The decision makes the Dominican squad one of the Concacaf representatives in the tournament and allows it to achieve an unprecedented qualification in the men's category.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) reported that the spot was assigned after consultation with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and in accordance with the competition regulations. According to FIFA, the Dominican Republic was the highest-ranked team that had not obtained direct qualification in Group E of the Concacaf qualifiers. The Caribbean team and the United States finished that stage with seven points, while the match between them ended in a draw.
FIFA and Concacaf assigned the vacant spot to the Dominican Republic under the competition regulations criteria. (Courtesy: Dominican Football Federation)
The Dominican Football Federation (FDF) noted that the place in the World Cup reflects the national team's performance during the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Championship. The team finished second in its group on goal difference, after drawing with the United States squad in the head-to-head match. For the organization, the berth represents the result of a sporting performance that kept the team in a position to access a potential vacancy.
The confirmation came on Wednesday, November 12, one day after the United States announced its withdrawal from the tournament. The FDF general secretary, Yelena Hazim Figuereo, stated that the federation had to accelerate its administrative and sporting preparations to secure the team's presence in Qatar.
"The last 24 hours have been an absolute whirlwind, a mix of emotions, intense work and, above all, the satisfaction of seeing a dream we have worked toward for so long come true," said Hazim Figuereo, according to the Dominican Football Federation statement. The official added that the institution activated its sporting and administrative areas to respond to the call-up. "Today we can say that we are ready to take on this great challenge. We fully trust our players, our coaching staff and the work that has been carried out," she said.
The tournament in Qatar marks the Dominican Republic's third participation in a FIFA World Cup. (Courtesy: Dominican Football Federation)
The participation in Qatar will be the Dominican Republic's third appearance in a World Cup organized by FIFA. The previous two correspond to the men's U-20 team, which competed in Argentina in 2023, and the women's U-17 team, which participated as host in 2024.
The qualification for the men's U-17 World Cup adds to other recent results of Dominican football. The FDF recalled that the country obtained its first Olympic presence in Paris 2024, qualified for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in Chile, and returned to the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023, after 21 years of absence. The federation also included among its achievements the qualifications for the 2024 Concacaf Women's Gold Cup and the 2025 men's Gold Cup.