2024 Asian Cup, Paris Olympics qualifying round

North Korea has reportedly notified it of its absence from the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup qualifying round, which also serves as a preliminary round for the Paris Olympics.

According to the Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 11th, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced to the RFA that the North Korean Football Association recently notified them of its absence from the preliminary round of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup. The AFC is in a position to ask North Korea for specific reasons for its absence.

The Tajikistan Football Association, which North Korea should have held the preliminary round, also said on its website on the 9th that North Korea will not participate in the Asian Cup qualifying round, according to the RFA.

The 2024 Asian Cup is also the final Asian qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

If North Korea finished in the top three in the main competition after qualifying for the Asian Cup, it could participate in the men's soccer finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Even if they finish fourth, they can compete against the fourth-ranked team in the African Football Confederation (CAF) qualifying round.

North Korea participated in the Asian Cup in Thailand in 2020, but did not participate in the 2022 Uzbekistan Asian Cup.

Meanwhile, the RFA reported that North Korea has expressed its intention to participate in the Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-Central America (US, Canada, and Mexico) World Cup to AFC. 스포츠토토