North Korea Abruptly Cancels 2026 World Cup Qualifier with Japan
4-Year Hiatus Ends for North Korean National Football Team
Sanctions Resonate in Professional Soccer
North Korea has unexpectedly canceled its 2026 World Cup qualifying match with Japan next week, leaving organizers scrambling for an alternative. This development marks the abrupt end of a four-year hiatus for the North Korean national football team, which had been absent from international competition since 2019.
The cancellation highlights the reverberations of United Nations (UN) sanctions on North Korea, with the team's withdrawal stemming from a rare enforcement case that affected professional soccer. The match was scheduled to take place in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, and would have been the team's first home game since October 2019.
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