FIFA fines North Korea $11K for scrapping World Cup qualifier against Japan | NK News
NK News Logo
September 19, 2026Sep 19, 2026

Weapon Directory

News

FIFA fines North Korea $11K for scrapping World Cup qualifier against Japan

Pyongyang unlikely to pay fine and will see minimum penalty as ‘reward’ for last-minute cancellation, expert says

Soccer’s world governing body has fined North Korea around $11,000 over its last-minute cancellation of a men’s World Cup qualifier against Japan last month.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced the fine of 10,000 Swiss francs on the DPR Korea Football Association in a press release on Tuesday and confirmed it penalized North Korea with an automatic 3-0 loss for forfeiting the game.

The committee’s decision comes after North Korea abruptly scrapped a scheduled qualifier in Pyongyang for the 2026 FIFA World Cup days before the match, the same day it lost the preceding game in Tokyo by a 1-0 margin.