North Korea Faces Fine and Forfeit After Suddenly Cancelling Home Game

ⓒ AP=Newsis

After abruptly canceling a home game in Pyongyang against Japan, North Korea faces a fine and a forfeit.

FIFA announced on its website on the 2nd (local time) that it had fined the North Korean Football Association approximately $10,800.

The fourth round of the Group B league of the North and Central American 2026 World Cup Asian region second-round qualifiers between North Korea and Japan was originally scheduled for last month’s 26th in Pyongyang.

However, North Korea, which had just finished a match in Japan on the 21st of last month, suddenly announced that it could not host the game in Pyongyang, causing controversy.

Although there were predictions that the game between the two teams would be held in a neutral third country instead of Pyongyang, FIFA firmly declared a forfeit for North Korea. The disciplinary action from FIFA did not end with the forfeit declaration.

Meanwhile, thanks to North Korea’s forfeit, Japan gained an additional three points, recorded four consecutive wins in Group B, and secured its place in the final qualifiers (third round) regardless of the results of the remaining two games.

On the other hand, North Korea, which suffered a forfeit, remained at three points (one win, three losses). They trail Syria, in second place, by four points, putting them at risk of elimination in the second round of qualifiers. Only the top two teams from each group can advance to the third round.