This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, expressed disappointment after attending a historic but bizarre World Cup qualifier between North and South Korea on October 16, 2019. The match, played at Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Stadium, ended 0-0 with empty stands and no live broadcast.
Infantino, who was one of the few people allowed to see the game, said he was looking forward to seeing a full stadium but was disappointed to see no fans in the stands. He also expressed surprise at several issues related to the live broadcast and problems with visas and access for foreign journalists.
No foreign media were present at the game, which was the first competitive men's match to be played in Pyongyang between the two sides. Frustrated South Korean fans who were not permitted to travel to the game will have to wait days to see it on television after officials bring back a DVD recording.
Infantino's comments come in the wake of a series of North Korean missile tests that raised tensions in the region, and after the breakdown of talks with the US over Pyongyang's weapons programmes. The match was a far cry from the cross-border warmth of last year, when South Korean President Moon Jae-in seized on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to broker the Pyongyang-Washington discussion process.
