Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup Qualification match.
Qatar sit fourth in Group A, a position that would see them progress to the next round of World Cup qualifying. Meanwhile, North Korea can only dream of such a scenario, as they currently occupy the bottom spot in the group.
Qatar
Despite their position, Qatar have the worst defensive record not only in this group but across all 18 teams in the third round of Asian qualifying. They have conceded 17 goals in just six matches. Shipping four away to Iran was no surprise, but conceding a total of eight against the UAE over two matches—losing 1:3 at home and suffering a heavy 0:5 defeat away—was unexpected. As a result, Qatar trail the Emirates by three points. However, they have at least been productive in attack, netting 10 goals themselves.
North Korea
North Korea have scored the fewest goals in the group—just five—but they have also conceded significantly fewer than their upcoming opponents, allowing nine. Interestingly, one of their highest-scoring matches was against Qatar, with the first-leg fixture ending in a 2:2 draw. The only team to score more than two against them was Iran (2:3). Ahead of these qualifiers, North Korea have played an extensive series of friendlies over the past month and a half against club teams and national sides from various countries. Notably, they beat Kazakhstan (2:0) and held Jordan to a 1:1 draw.
Qatar vs North Korea Prediction
Given Qatar’s porous defence, even North Korea should be able to find the net again, as they did in the reverse fixture. However, the visitors have also failed to keep a clean sheet in all six of their third-round matches. This points to an open game where both teams are likely to score.
