Middlesbrough Ladies becomes 1st British soccer team to visit North Korea

Middlesbrough Ladies soccer team in NKorea

SEOUL, South Korea — Middlesbrough Ladies is the first British soccer team to visit North Korea, building on a tie the British town has had with North Korea since the 1966 World Cup.

The country’s state media announced the team’s arrival in Pyongyang on Saturday.

North Korea’s squad stayed in Middlesbrough, northeast England, during the 1966 tournament and the local community adopted North Korea as its second team.

Middlesbrough Ladies will play two matches and hold coaching clinics for children during a four-night stay in the North Korean capital.