"North Korea's women have won back-to-back U-17 World Cup titles after defeating the Netherlands 3-0 in Morocco. It was the fourth time that the country has won the competition. With the country's U-20 team winning their third World Cup in 2024, North Korea's women have cemented their status as the dominant force in women's youth football. But what is it that makes a state that, according to the United Nations, "does not have any parallel in the contemporary world" so good at youth football?"
"Football is popular in the country, but recognizing that the gap to the top in senior football is much harder to close than in youth football, North Korea's leaders turned to women's youth football, where the gap is more manageable. It's also why success at this level hasn't benefited the senior team over the years. This strategy is not about pathways. It's about winning."
North Korea's women's youth teams have won multiple World Cups, including back-to-back U-17 titles and a U-20 victory in 2024, establishing dominance in women's youth football. International sport serves as a means to demonstrate sovereignty, existence and national identity, and major victories provide opportunities to display the national flag. Domestically, sport functions as propaganda to glorify leaders and promote national greatness. Football enjoys popularity, and state leaders focus resources on women's youth football where the competitive gap is more manageable. Youth programs emphasize early, highly disciplined, systematic, and professionalized training, prioritizing winning over long-term pathways to senior success.
Read at www.dw.com
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