AFCON 2025
The exceptional North Korean team won the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup against Japan in a close match.
After a close victory over Japan, North Korea has won the women’s under-20 World Cup three times making them the joint most successful team in the competition’s history.
With the game’s lone goal in the fifteenth minute, Choe Il Son secured the victory for North Korea in Colombia and solidified her status as the competition’s top scorer overall with six goals.
The DPRK had a dominant campaign, winning all of its games and scoring more goals than any other side.
The U-20 Asian Cup final in March saw North Korea overcome Japan 1-0 as well.
This victory concluded a successful competition in which the DPRK won all of its games and scored more goals than any other side.
In the group stages, the Netherlands, who were semi-finalists the previous year, were easily defeated.
In the quarterfinals, Brazil, the ten-time South American champions were easily defeated.
Then the United States of America in the semifinals and Japan in the final.
Awards
Choe won the Golden Boot as the highest scorer in addition to the Golden Ball for being the best player in the competition.
Manaka Matsukubo of Japan also had a tremendous campaign winning the Silver Ball, and Femke Liefting of the Netherlands was named the best goalkeeper and took home the Golden Glove.
North Korea’s third U-20 World Cup victory puts them level with the United States and Germany as the most successful teams in the competition with three victories apiece.
