North Korea Wins Record Third U-20 Women’s World Cup By Beating Japan

North Korea secured a historic third tournament victory in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup by defeating Japan 1-0 in the Colombian capital, Bogota, on Sunday.

North Korea made it to the final of the tournament after defeating the likes of Austria, Brazil, and the USA in the knockout of the tournament. In the final, an early first-half goal from the tournament-leading goal scorer, Choe Il-son, secured the tournament for North Korea as they beat Japan 1-0. 17-year-old Choe was named the player of the match and won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball. Later, she was awarded the title of the World Cup's best overall player of the tournament.

This victory cements North Korea's status as a powerhouse in women's youth football, showcasing their consistent ability to produce world-class talent. North Korea's women’s under-20 national team now joins the U.S. and Germany as the tournament’s most successful teams with three wins each.

The team coach, Ri Song-ho, said this following their World Cup triumph.

“To firstly win the Asian Cup and now follow that with this success means that I’m so proud of the team," "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."

Ri Song-ho

The North Korean women's U20 team has won three Asian Cups, three Asian Games, and three East Asian Championships. However, they have not played a competitive fixture in nearly five years. They withdrew from the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup due to their country’s strict COVID-19 policy.