Qatar and North Korea Share the Spoils in 2-2 Draw

The Qatar national team played out a 2-2 draw with the North Korean national team in the second round of the first group of Asian qualification for the 2026 World Cup final, held at the New Laos National Stadium.

North Korea took the lead in the 19th minute with a goal from Ri Il Sung. However, their joy was short-lived as player Cook Chola Jang was sent off in the 28th minute. Despite being a player down, the Korean team managed to score their second goal in the 8th minute.

However, North Korea equalized with a goal from Kang Cook Chola at the start of the second half, bringing the score to 2-2.

The match was briefly interrupted in the 8th minute due to heavy rain, but play resumed five minutes later.

Group Standings and Next Matches

Both Qatar and North Korea earned their first point in the group stage. In other matches, the United Arab Emirates national team will face off against Iran, while Uzbekistan will host the Kyrgyz national team.

At the end of the third round, the top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter the next round of qualification.