Russia and North Korea Combat Political Isolation with Football Game

Politically isolated from the West, Russia and North Korea played two women's football games in recent days, a "derby" that served to reinforce the relationship between two pariah nations, according to the Russian newspaper 'The Moscow Times'.

These two games, in the space of four days, took place 27 days after the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, paid a visit to North Korea, to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Un.

In the first game, also held in Moscow, the Russian women's team was defeated by the North Korean team 0-3, while in the second leg the match ended in a goalless draw.

More than the football game, this match brought together two countries that, for different reasons, are politically distant from the West, at a time when global conflicts and diplomatic tensions are being experienced.

Interestingly, North Korea's women's team is the tenth best in the world.

Its position in the FIFA rankings, which is calculated using a performance-based points system, means it is above traditional football powerhouses such as the Netherlands, Italy and Argentina.

North Korean players have excelled in continental tournaments, winning three Asian Cups, three Asian Games and three East Asian Championships.

For its part, the Russian women's team is in 27th place, but has been prevented from accumulating points since it was suspended from FIFA in 2022.

Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has come into conflict with football's governing bodies, UEFA and FIFA, as both have suspended Russian senior national teams from competing in their tournaments.

The women's team was expelled from the 2022 Women's European Championship held in England, while the men's team was not allowed to participate in any qualifying games for the men's European Championship, which ended on Sunday night with a Spanish victory.

Since then, the women's team has played just a few matches against opponents such as Iran, Botswana and China, while the men's team has had to endure a 25-month hiatus from international football.

At the Paris Olympics next month, all 16 Russian athletes invited to the Games will compete in neutral colors.

North Korean athletes will compete under their own flag in events ranging from boxing to table tennis.

The women's football team narrowly missed out on qualifying after losing to Japan.

Since Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has lost the right to host the Champions League final in St. Petersburg and the 2023 Super Cup in Kazan, while domestic clubs have been kept away from UEFA competitions.