Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the soccer calendar and continued concerns over international travel, FIFA recently announced the cancellation of the FIFA Under-17 and U-20 Men’s World Cups, scheduled to take place in Peru and Indonesia in 2021, respectively.

Given FIFA’s decision, the continued uncertainty regarding the impact of COVID-19 in North and Central American and the Caribbean and concerns regarding youth teams traveling in this environment, Concacaf Monday said that it had come to the “difficult decision” to cancel the 2020 Concacaf U-17 qualifiers and Championship, and the 2020 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.