football, soccer, computer, game
The face and video footage of international football star Lionel Messi appears on the opening screen of the North Korean smartphone game “FIFA Match 2.0.” (Daily NK)
International football stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo appear in a mobile football game developed by North Korea, while well-known South Korean players like Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in are notably absent.
Daily NK recently obtained “FIFA Match 2.0,” a smartphone football game produced by North Korea’s Taeyongsinjwa Joint Venture. The app runs under the name “FIFA 22,” and based on its team rosters, appears to be modeled on 2022 statistics.
European league stars such as Messi, Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, and Kevin De Bruyne appear in the game with their names transliterated into Korean, though slightly differently than in South Korea. However, the game excludes not only South Korean footballers but apparently all Asian players—likely an attempt to prevent North Koreans from learning about Asian athletes’ international careers.
Players can choose from 41 national teams including Brazil, France, and Egypt, but no Asian teams are available, not even North Korea itself. The game also features club teams from European and South American leagues, including the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and Germany’s Bundesliga.
Users can choose from teams across Europe and other regions in North Korea’s mobile football game “FIFA Match 2.0.” (Daily NK)
The game offers Europe’s top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, though their names are transliterated differently than in South Korea. While club logos remain unchanged, all Roman letters on these logos have been converted to Korean.
Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur is included in the game, but Son Heung-min is missing from the club’s roster. The game features video footage and photos of famous players, including a clip of Messi’s 2021 transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, along with images of Ronaldo, Mbappé, and Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone.
Typically, game developers must secure licensing agreements with FIFA or individual clubs to use player images and club logos, though it’s unclear whether North Korea formally obtained such permissions.
The game offers several play modes, including “tournament,” “manager mode,” and “friendlies.” When starting in “manager mode,” players can select sponsors from a list of North Korean companies such as Ryomyong Golf Travel Agency, DPRK Oryun Trading General Company, and Geumcup Athletes General Food Factory.
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