North Korea Withdraws from 2022 World Cup Qualifiers
Suboptimum Rankings Precede Withdrawal
105th FIFA Ranking Led to Lowest-Ranked Team to Qualify
Despite qualifying for the World Cup with a pre-tournament FIFA ranking of 105th, the lowest in the rankings' history, North Korea has withdrawn from the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The North Korean Football Association, founded in 1945 and an AFC member since its inception, made the announcement after the North Korean men's soccer team participated in two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches earlier this month.
The AFC disclosed that North Korea's withdrawal was communicated on May 16, 2021, at 12:59 AM PDT. The reason for the withdrawal remains undisclosed.
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