Japan’s national football team is now likely to advance to the final stage of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup without playing a match. This decision comes after FIFA announced that the scheduled qualifier between Japan and North Korea will not be rescheduled.
Originally, North Korea was set to host the match in Pyongyang on Tuesday, but just five days before the game, officials announced that the country would not be able to host without providing a reason. The Asian Football Confederation officially called off the match, and FIFA later confirmed that it would not be rescheduled due to a lack of space in the international football calendar.
As a result of this decision, North Korea may face a 3-0 forfeit, which would advance Japan to the third stage of World Cup qualifying. Japan had previously defeated North Korea 1-0 in Tokyo, securing their third win in Asian qualifying Group B.
Japan’s coach, Hajime Moriyasu, expressed disappointment over losing the opportunity to address areas of concern and improvement following their unconvincing performance in the previous match. Despite this setback, Moriyasu remains focused on building upon the progress the team has made thus far.
After being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup by Iran last month, Japan aims to continue strengthening their team in preparation for future competitions.
