North Korea are attempting to produce “super-talented players who can surpass the skills of Lionel Messi,” with World Cup glory the ultimate goal for Kim Jong-un’s Hermit Kingdom.
Despite their lowly position of 126th in the FIFA rankings, Ri Yu-Il, the head of the country’s only football academy, is targeting eventual world domination, beginning with supremacy in Asia.
Outlining the Pyongyang International Football School’s ambitious plans, he said, per Goal: "We train our young people to be like the most talented players, including Lionel Messi. For now, we will seek to dominate Asia in the near future.