North Korea loses 1-0 to Japan and cancels next game

North Korea has reportedly canceled a football World Cup qualifier game it was hosting with former colonizer Japan, after losing to its eastern neighbor on Thursday.

Japan beat North Korea 1-0 in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The game was held in Tokyo. North Korea had not hosted a men's international football match since 2019, before the COVID pandemic. It pulled out of the qualification process for the 2022 World Cup citing concerns about the pandemic.