U17 World Cup: Dominican Republic replaces USA in Algeria's group

The U17 World Cup organizing committee has announced that the Dominican Republic will take the place of the United States, following the American team's withdrawal from the Qatar tournament due to security concerns. The youth competition committee confirmed this selection in coordination with CONCACAF and in adherence to FIFA regulations. The Dominican Republic was chosen based on their performance in the qualifiers, where they were the highest-ranked team among those in the non-qualifying spots of Group E. This represents the Caribbean nation's first-ever appearance at the U17 World Cup. They join Group J, which also features Algeria, Montenegro, and Chile. The tournament rules dictate that the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.