North Korea win record third U20 football Women’s World Cup

North Korea secured a record-equalling third victory in the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, beating Japan 1-0 in Bogota.

They became the joint most successful side in the football tournament’s history, equalling powerhouse nations Germany and the United States.

Choe Il-son’s 15th minute winner capped a superb tournament for North Korea, who won every single game in Colombia.

The 17-year-old forward finished as the competition’s overall top scorer, winning the Golden Boot with six goals.

“It’s so hard to express ourselves right now – this has been a dream of so many of us for so long,” said North Korea’s captain, Chae Un-yong.

“The final match was tough, as we expected, and we had to remain calm and play according to the coach’s tactical instructions.”

North Korea stormed their way through the tournament, despatching the likes of Argentina, the Netherlands and Brazil en route to the semis.

A 1-0 victory over the United States set up an all-Asian final against Japan – who finished as runners-up in the previous tournament in 2022.

Choe’s goal – a slightly deflected left foot strike – was enough to secure a historic win for North Korea in the El Camin Stadium

She was named player of the match and won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball, the latter being awarded to the World Cup’s best overall player.

North Korea’s triumph is even more notable given the country withdrew from global sporting competition for several years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Having not played a match since 2018, the North Korean Women’s U20 returned to the international stage in March this year to compete in the Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.

Despite the six-year-break, they won that tournament, beating Japan 2-1 to secure their second title.

“To firstly win the Asian Cup and now follow that with this success means that I’m so proud of the team,” said the team coach, Ri Song-ho, following their World Cup triumph.

“We have shown that we are very dangerous in the way that we build up attacks, it’s all about the speed of how we go forward.”

Unlike their male counterparts – who are ranked 111th in the world – North Korea’s women are a genuine force in world football.

The senior side is currently ninth in the Fifa world rankings, higher than countries such as France and Australia.

To date, they have won three Asian Cups, three Asian Games and three East Asian Championships.

North Koreans rarely get to see their national sides play at home, though.

The country’s limited transport connections with the outside world – as well as its poor diplomatic relations with many governments – mean that the vast majority of North Korea’s “home” matches are played at a neutral venue, often in China or the Middle East.