2026 World Cup qualifiers: DPRK-Kyrgyzstan match may be held in Tashkent

The match between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Kyrgyz Republic, scheduled for the 9th round of the third stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, could take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This information was shared by football expert Alisher Nikimbaev on his Telegram page.

The Kyrgyz Football Union has proposed to the DPRK Football Federation that the World Cup qualifier between the two teams be held in Tashkent on June 5.

Although the official hosts of the match are the North Korean team, the country’s inability to host home matches has led to the proposal to relocate the game to another Asian country, with the host city at the discretion of the football federation.

Nikimbaev explained, "Considering that the North Korean team is scheduled to play their 10th-round match in Tehran, choosing Tashkent as the venue for the match against Kyrgyzstan makes perfect sense."

For context, the DPRK has already been eliminated from World Cup contention after accumulating just 2 points from 8 rounds. In contrast, Kyrgyzstan, with 6 points, is still in the fight for 4th place in their group and aims to progress to the 4th stage of the qualification process.