North Korea’s World Cup Dreams Dashed: Lose 1-0 to Japan

On the 21st, the North Korean men’s soccer team lost 0 to 1 to Japan in an away game. This was the third match of Group B of the 2026 North, Central, and American World Cup Asian second round, held at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

The Chosun Shinbo, a newspaper for Korean residents in Japan, reported on the 22nd, “The fierce match between the Korean team and the Japanese team ended with a score of 0:1,” announcing the North Korean team’s defeat.

[yarpp]

Meanwhile, in the 2026 North, Central, and American World Cup Asian second round, each group of four teams plays six home and away games. The top two teams from each group then advance to the third round.

The North Korean and Japanese teams, which competed in Japan on the 21st, were scheduled to face off in Pyongyang on the 26th. However, North Korea expressed concerns about hosting the event in Pyongyang due to the recent spread of an infectious disease in Japan, with a fatality rate of up to 30%.