North Korea lose World Cup qualifier by forfeit after refusing to host Japan

Japan's Ao Tanaka, center, controls the ball during a 2026 World Cup qualifier against North Korea at the National Stadium in Tokyo on March 21. [AFP/YONHAP]

Japan won a canceled 2026 World Cup qualifier against North Korea 3-0 by forfeit, the Japan Football Association announced Saturday.

The qualifier, scheduled to take place at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea on March 26, was canceled after North Korea unilaterally told the Asia Football Confederation on March 20 that the match needs to be held in neutral territory.

North Korea did not specify a reason for the request, but Japanese media reported after the cancelation that it happened allegedly because North Korea was taking precautionary measures regarding a recent increase in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome patients in Japan.

The two sides failed to find a third country in which to play the qualifier, however, which led FIFA to hand North Korea a loss by forfeit. The game was the second leg of a home-and-away qualifier — Japan won the first match 1-0 in Tokyo on March 21.

As North Korea did not withdraw from the second round of the World Cup qualifiers, however, they still have a chance to reach the third round with two more qualifiers left to play in Group B.

North Korea, sitting in third place in Group B with three points, are four points behind group runners-up Syria.

Group winners Japan, on the other hand, have already locked in a spot in the next round with two games left to go.

In the second round of qualifiers consisting of 36 teams, a total of 18 teams — group winners and runners-up from nine groups — advance to the third round.

North Korea will next play a qualifier against Syria on June 6, followed by the last qualifier against Myanmar on June 11. Both games are scheduled to be played in North Korea.

North Korea did not reach the third qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup, as the country withdrew from the second round in 2021 citing reasons related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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

North Korea did send a delegation of athletes to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last fall, including their men’s U-23 football team that went on to reach the quarterfinals.

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