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North Korea not in World Cup, but don't tell them that

What appears to be a North Korean news service reported Friday that its soccer team has advanced to the knockout phase of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and will play Portugal in the Round of 16. There are three things wrong with that statement.

Possible parody video says the nation will play Portugal in knockout round

Brandon Hicks · CBC Sports ·
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will certainly be pleased with his country's World Cup showing, despite the fact that the team is not there. (Wong Maye-E/Associated Press)

What appears to be a North Korean news service reported Friday that its soccer team has advanced to the knockout phase of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and will play Portugal in the Round of 16. 

There are three things immediately wrong with this statement:

  • The Group Phase ended two weeks ago
  • Portugal did not make it into the Round of 16
  • North Korea is not in the 2014 World Cup

Considering North Korea's penchant for reporting sports news that exists outside of space and time, you wouldn't be surprised that its state news service is at it again. It showed up on Reddit and several news sites (including ours). But there's enough chatter to suggest that it may be a clever parody video. 

North Korea did compete at the World Cup in 2010, finishing with three losses. 

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