North Korean media gave extensive coverage to news that the under-17 (U-17) women's national soccer team achieved back-to-back titles at the 2025 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-17 World Cup. North Korea appears intent on using this victory as a tool for consolidating the system beyond a sports feat.
The Labor Party organ Rodong Sinmun on the 10th introduced on its front page, saying, "Our trustworthy women's soccer players seized the honor of first place."
On the 9th (Korea time) in Rabat, Morocco, the North Korean team routed the Netherlands 3-0 in the final to lift the trophy. The paper said, "From the start, our players firmly seized the initiative and ran the match with vigor," adding, "They left a deep impression on countless soccer experts, enthusiasts and spectators around the world."
In particular, it highlighted that the team recorded seven straight wins from the group stage to the final and self-assessed that it "clearly demonstrated once again its prowess as the world's strongest team."
Rodong Sinmun interpreted this championship as carrying political meaning beyond a simple athletic achievement. The paper emphasized, "It is giving great encouragement to people across the country who are creating new miracles and exploits in the all-out advance to greet the 9th Party Congress as a congress of victors and a congress of glory." This is seen as an attempt to boost public unity and confidence in the system ahead of the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea early next year.
The paper ran nine photos across the entire front page that day, closely spotlighting the players' performances. Yu Jeong-hyang, the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, received both the Golden Ball (most valuable player) and the Golden Boot (top scorer), while Kim Won-sim, with seven goals, took the Silver Ball and Silver Boot.
They are highly likely to be elevated to the titles of "Labor Hero," "People's Athlete," or "Merited Athlete," the highest honors given to North Korean sports figures going forward.
Korean Central News Agency and Korean Central Broadcasting also covered the victory in detail that day, stressing the players' "patriotic devotion." North Korea has recently been using results from international sports competitions as a core tool of system propaganda.