TEHRAN - Iran’s football team suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat to North Korea on Wednesday, bringing their campaign at the 2026 Asian Games to an end.
North Korea’s men’s soccer team, which had been facing elimination, poured in four goals against Iran. After conceding the opening goal, they turned the match around to advance to the Asian Games quarterfinals as the runner-up in their group.
North Korea beat Iran 4-1 in the final Group B match of the men’s soccer group stage at the 2026 Aichi•Nagoya Asian Games at Wave Stadium in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 23rd.
North Korea finished with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss, earning 4 points and claiming second place in the group behind China (5 points). Iran also recorded 4 points but was eliminated on goal difference to North Korea.
North Korea failed to win in their previous two matches. In the first match against China, they conceded a comeback after scoring first and lost 1-2, and they drew 0-0 with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A victory was essential in the final match against Iran.
The start was difficult. North Korea conceded the opening goal in the 17th minute to Amirhossein Hosseinjade. However, in the 41st minute Choe Guk scored the equalizer, and three minutes later Ra Myong-song succeeded in turning the game with a long-range shot. They turned the 0-1 score into 2-1 before the end of the first half.
North Korea’s scoring continued in the second half. In the 6th minute of the second half Ra Myong-song struck the net again to extend the lead to two goals. In the 23rd minute of the second half Paek Chongsong scored the insurance goal. Iran, unable to preserve their opening goal, conceded four consecutive goals and were eliminated in the group stage.
North Korea will face the winner of Group A in the quarterfinals. With Japan and Thailand both clinching quarterfinal berths with two straight wins, North Korea’s opponent will be determined by the result of the final group match between the two teams. According to the Japan Football Association, the match between Japan and Thailand will be held at 7:30 p.m. on the 23rd.
Meanwhile, South Korea, led by coach Lee Min-sung, beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 on the 22nd to finish first in Group D and advance to the quarterfinals. South Korea’s quarterfinal opponent is Vietnam.
Hussein Abdi’s Iran started the Games with a 3-1 win over the UAE in Group B but were held to a goalless draw against Chine in their second match.
China advanced to quarterfinals with five points as the first team followed by North Korea with four points.
Iran and the UAE failed to book their place in the next round.