North Korea to play Japan in Pyongyang, first home game in 4 years

North Korea and South Korea play in a 2022 World Cup qualifer at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea on Oct. 15, 2019. [YONHAP]

The North Korean men's national football team is set to play host in Pyongyang for the first time in more than four years.

Japan will meet North Korea for a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang on March 26, the Japanese Football Association announced Monday.

The upcoming qualifier will be the North's first home game since October 2019, when they played a 2022 World Cup qualifier against South Korea at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang.

The two Koreas were in Group H of the second round of the qualifiers, but North Korea withdrew from the bracket in 2021 citing reasons related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following their exit, the reclusive country went three years without fielding a team at an international tournament and even skipped the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

North Korea, however, sent a delegation of athletes to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last fall, including their men’s football team that went on to reach the quarterfinals.

North Korea are in second place in Group B of the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers where Japan is leading with six points as of Tuesday.

The upcoming qualifier between the two will be their first time facing off in Pyongyang since 2011 when North Korea won 1-0.

The last time the two sides faced each other was at the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship when Japan grabbed a 1-0 victory.

North Korea has so far played two World Cup qualifiers, recording one loss to Syria and one win over Myanmar.

A total of 36 teams were split into nine groups of four for the second round of the qualifiers, with teams playing each other in a home-and-away format. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the third round and qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

North Korea has not qualified for the World Cup since 2010, exiting after the group stage.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]