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North Korea end World Cup qualifiers without a win

Published: 11 Jun. 2025, 11:11

Aref Aghasi of Iran, center right, in action against Ri Jo-guk of North Korea during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier in Tehran, Iran, on June 10. [EPA/YONHAP]

The North Korean national football team ended its 2026 World Cup qualifying run without a single win after losing 3-0 to Iran at Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Tuesday.

Tuesday's qualifier had no bearing on North Korea’s World Cup hopes, as the reclusive country had already been eliminated following a winless streak in Group A.

North Korea ended the first half goalless and struggled in the second after Kye Tam was sent off with a second yellow card, reducing the team to 10 men.

Iran capitalized on the numerical advantage, scoring three goals in the space of 19 minutes. Mohammad Mohebi opened the scoring in the 74th minute, followed by Mehdi Taremi’s goal just three minutes later. Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh added a third in stoppage time in the 93rd minute to seal the victory.

Iran topped Group A with Tuesday's win, having secured seven wins, two draws and one loss from their 10 qualifiers for a direct ticket to the World Cup. The top two teams from each group in the third AFC qualifying round directly reach the 2026 tournament.

Uzbekistan finished second in Group A to secure a spot at the World Cup, while No. 3 United Arab Emirates and No. 4 Qatar will play in the fourth round of qualifiers for another shot at qualification.

North Korea ended at the bottom of Group A with three draws and seven losses, finishing their qualifying run as the only country without a win in the group. The country's failure marks their fourth consecutive attempt to qualify for the World Cup without success.

The No. 3 and No. 4 teams from the third round enter the fourth round, where they will be divided into two groups of three teams and play a round-robin tournament at a centralized venue. The winners of each group will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the runners-up will head to the fifth round.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]