Jakupovic Leads U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team to Record 20th U-17 FIFA World Cup
Malik Jakupovic recorded eight goals, one assist in Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers as U.S. U-17 MNT punches ticket to 2026 U-17 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team will head to Qatar this fall to compete in its record 20th U-17 FIFA World Cup. The team, led by an eight-goal performance from Philadelphia Union II forward Malik Jakupovic, recorded two dominant wins and a hard-fought draw to finish atop Group E in the 2026 Concacaf Qualifiers.
Head coach Alex Aldaz’s side began the tournament on a high note by defeating host country St. Vincent and the Grenadines 8-0 last Thursday. California native Aaron Medina scored a first-half hat trick, putting the U.S. on the board six minutes in with a left-footed volley. After forcing an own goal off his deflection, Medina got on the end of two crosses to put the team up 4-0 at halftime. Red Bull New York II Midfielder Paul Sokoloff and Jakupovic both scored braces in the second half to extend the lead.
A perfect hat-trick from Aaron Medina 💫#U17MNT pic.twitter.com/sOayjmcTHc
— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) February 6, 2026
The second match of the tournament was even more commanding for the U.S., winning 10-0 against St. Kitts and Nevis. It was the second-highest goal total in a single match in the competition’s history for the U.S., surpassed only by the 22-0 win over the U.S. Virgin Islands on February 10, 2025.
Jakupovic followed his previous performance with a five-goal outing, four in the run of play and one from the penalty spot. He also assisted forward Matheo Dimareli for the seventh goal of the night. Midfielder Vicente Garcia and defenders Eddie Chadwick and Prince Forfor also got on the scoresheet.
The 10-0 victory put the USA in a strong position at the top of Group E heading into the final matchday. The Dominican Republic had also earned two shutout-wins against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Kitts and Nevis, but the U.S. was ahead on goal differential, needing either a win or draw against the Dominican Republic to secure the berth to the World Cup.
The two sides met on Tuesday in what was a battle until the final whistle. Unsurprisingly, it was Jakupovic who got on the board first with his eighth goal of the tournament. Forward Will Ostrander floated a cross inside the box to Jakupovic, who headed the ball into the bottom corner in the 41st minute. It was Ostrander’s team-leading fifth assist of the tournament.
Malik Jakupovic flying with his EIGHTH goal of qualifiers 🔥🔥
— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) February 10, 2026
pic.twitter.com/UXsIDpDnmz
The U.S. lead was short-lived as Dominican Republic’s Adiran Garcia equalized three minutes later. The test continued in the second half after defender Astin Mbaye was ejected after a second caution, forcing the U.S. to finish the final 12 minutes with 10 players. The U-17 MNT showed resilience and held on for the 1-1 draw.
Haiti, Panama and Costa Rica joined the U.S. on Tuesday as the other winners of their respective groups to secure qualification. The remaining four group winners will determine the eight Concacaf nations of the 48 teams in the 2026 U-17 FIFA World Cup.
Dates have yet to be announced for the 2026 U-17 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the second year of a five-year period that will see Qatar host the tournament. In the 2025 edition, the U-17 MNT topped Group I, going undefeated in group play while only allowing one goal. The squad advanced to the Round of 32 before falling to Morocco, 4-3 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation.