North Korea-South Korea: "Disappointed to see there were no fans in the stands" (G. Infantino, FIFA)

"I was looking forward to seeing a full stadium for such a historic match but was disappointed to see there were no fans in the stands," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino after North Korea - South Korea (0-0, Group H), a qualifying match counting for both the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 Asian Cup in China, at the Kim Il Sung Stadium (50,000 capacity) in Pyongyang (PRK) on 14/10/2019.

Gianni Infantino and the South Korean delegation had not been informed that this first competitive match between the two Korean men's teams would take place behind closed doors.

"We were surprised by this and by several issues related to its live broadcast (the match was not broadcast live) and problems with visas and access for foreign journalists. For us, freedom of the press and freedom of speech are obviously paramount, but on the other hand it would be naïve to think we can change the world from one minute to the next," said the president of the international federation.

• "It's too bad that we didn't win, but the match was very aggressive to a degree that I think it's a huge achievement…