Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
In the fifth round of Group A of the Asian qualifiers, teams from opposite standings face off. North Korea are sixth, while Iran sit atop the table. It seems straightforward, with the Iranians expected to win, but surprises can happen. The match will take place on neutral ground in Laos.
North Korea
During the previous World Cup qualifiers, North Korea withdrew from the competition in the second round because the remaining matches were set to be held in South Korea. In the current qualifiers, they barely advanced from a group containing Japan, Syria, and Myanmar, and in this stage, they've managed just 2 points out of a possible 12. Their only "home" match in Laos ended in a draw against Qatar (2:2).
Iran
Iran lead the group after four rounds, having accrued 10 points. However, they haven't been scoring many goals. Four of their six goals came in their home game against Qatar in the last round. Otherwise, they have either narrowly won 1:0 (against Kyrgyzstan and the UAE) or settled for a goalless draw (against their main opponents, Uzbekistan). Defensively, they are expected to remain solid, as it is unclear how the 111th-ranked team's attack plans to breach the defence and goalkeeper of the 19th-ranked team.
North Korea vs Iran Prediction
A victory for North Korea in this match appears highly unlikely, given their opponent’s excellent form and superior quality of players. In the 21st century, the teams have faced each other six times, with only one match featuring more than two goals (a 2:1 win for Iran in 2008). Iran have won five of these encounters.
