On the 23rd, one day after it was announced that the men's soccer match between Japan and North Korea, which had been scheduled for the 26th in North Korea, could not be held, players from the North Korean national team arrived at a transit point. I just returned from China.
The Asian second qualifying rounds for the 2026 Soccer World Cup will be held in a home-and-away format, with the home match in which the Japanese national team faces the North Korean national team being held in Tokyo on the 21st, followed by the home match on the 26th. An away match was scheduled in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.
The Asian Football Confederation announced on the 22nd that due to unforeseen circumstances, the match in North Korea could not be held as scheduled.
On the 23rd, around 30 players from the North Korean national team returned to Japan by air from Beijing, the capital of China.
The Asian Football Confederation said it received a call from North Korea on the 20th of this month stating that it would be difficult to host the tournament in their country and requesting that the tournament be held at a neutral site.According to sources, the number of infections reported in Japan is increasing. This appears to be the result of epidemic prevention measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Regarding the series of events, a senior official of North Korea's soccer association appeared dissatisfied with reporters, saying, ``You should ask the Asian Football Confederation.''
Future operations will be left to the relevant committees of FIFA, the International Federation of Football Associations, and the latest information will be announced as soon as it is decided.