North Korean footballers get hero's welcome home after record fifth Asian Cup title

By Lee Hugh Posted : May 20, 2026, 10:05 Updated : May 20, 2026, 10:05
North Korean footballers pose for a group photo at Pyongyang International Airport on May 19, 2026, in this photo released by the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency the following day.
SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Young North Korean footballers received a hero's welcome as they returned home after winning the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Women's Asian Cup, state media reported on Wednesday.

North Korea beat Japan 5-1 in the final in Jiangsu, China last Sunday to win the biennial tournament for a record fifth time, successfully defending the title it won in Indonesia in 2024.

According to the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency, the players were "greeted with flower garlands and bouquets" at Pyongyang International Airport by senior party officials, sports officials, their family members and others upon their arrival the previous day.

They then rode in a flower-decorated bus through the main streets of Pyongyang, greeted by large crowds waving and cheering as it passed.

The country's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun also reported that streets in Pyongyang were filled with "joy and excitement."
 
North Korean footballers warm up at a stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on May 19, 2026, ahead of their semifinal match against Suwon FC Women later in the day. Yonhap
Meanwhile, players from North Korea's Naegohyang Women's Football Club, currently in South Korea, are set to face Suwon FC Women in the semifinal of the AFC Women's Champions League in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province later in the day.

Their visit marked the first time a North Korean team had traveled to South Korea for a sporting event in seven years and five months, since the International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Grand Finals in Incheon in December 2018.

But North Korean media have remained mum on their visit.
Lee Hugh

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