After commotion about the cancellation of the match in North Korea: FIFA declares Japan the winner

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Japan is the winner of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match against North Korea, which was canceled after much controversy. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has informed us of its decision to classify the match as a 3-0 defeat to North Korea,” the Japan Football Association (JFA) said in a statement.

The match was actually supposed to take place on March 26 in Pyongyang, North Korea. During the first leg in Tokyo, which Japan won 1-0, North Korea requested on March 21 to move the second leg to a neutral location. According to the Japanese news agency Kyodo, North Korea did not want to play the game for fear of bacterial infections.

Japan in the third qualifying round

The North Koreans themselves told the Asian Football Association (AFC) that they could not organize the match in Pyongyang due to “unavoidable circumstances”. FIFA subsequently canceled the match due to a lack of a replacement venue and a lack of dates.

Due to the cancellation, Japan’s national players have “missed important opportunities for competition,” Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu (55) said after the decision. He still sees this as a positive step forward. Because the match is now seen as a 3-0 win for Japan, Moriyasu’s team is already safe for the third round of World Cup qualifying. (mbi)

Source : Blick