Under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched from the stands as North Korea women were beaten by Spain in a World Cup final.
Seeing a team from the ultra-secretive, totalitarian state reach a World Cup final may seem like an outlier to some. But the country has developed a fine reputation for producing talented female players, having won three women's U20 World Cups.
Penalty shootout defeat in Poland
The U20s couldn't make it four as Spain, the 2022 winners, triumphed in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw in Lodz, Poland. But their run in the tournament suggests North Korea will be a force in the women's game for years to come.
The senior women's team already sit a highly respectable 11th in the FIFA world rankings, ahead of the likes of Italy, Belgium and World Cup semi-finalists Australia. They are the second-highest-ranked Asian country behind Japan.
Infantino's pressure mounts
North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong Un, has a strong interest in sport, vowing to make the country a "sporting powerhouse" after taking office in 2011.
Meanwhile, Infantino has been in Poland for the tournament as calls for him to quit as FIFA boss refuse to go away in the wake of his controversial attempt to sell off a portion of the World Cup's commercial rights. His plan involved investors with links to US president Donald Trump via the so-called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
UEFA calls for reform
Opposition from three continents forced the abandonment of the plan but European football’s governing body, UEFA, insists it has lost confidence in Infantino and says it will work to identify a credible alternative candidate to stand against him in next year's presidential election.
Bosses of four of Europe’s major leagues, including the Premier League's Richard Masters, have co-signed a statement which said: "It is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE – fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference."
That last remark was a reference to the widespread discontent over FIFA's handling of the Folarin Balogun case, with the United States striker's one-match ban suspended to allow him to play in a World Cup last-16 match against Belgium.
The suspension of the ban was enacted by FIFA's disciplinary committee, but president Donald Trump admitted he had personally called Infantino asking for a "review" of the ban.
Infantino has pledged to reform FIFA, which has been mired in scandals over the last decade. He said in an Instagram post last week that he has "never been more determined and committed" to doing "what is right for the game". The Swiss wrote: "There must be a culture of dialogue, of listening to each other and respecting one another."
