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France Defense Hit by Injuries Ahead of European Qualifier Against the Netherlands 

Barcelona's Jules Kounde sits injured on the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Granada CF and FC Barcelona in Granada, Spain, 08 October 2023. (EPA)
Barcelona's Jules Kounde sits injured on the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Granada CF and FC Barcelona in Granada, Spain, 08 October 2023. (EPA)
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France Defense Hit by Injuries Ahead of European Qualifier Against the Netherlands 

Barcelona's Jules Kounde sits injured on the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Granada CF and FC Barcelona in Granada, Spain, 08 October 2023. (EPA)
Barcelona's Jules Kounde sits injured on the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Granada CF and FC Barcelona in Granada, Spain, 08 October 2023. (EPA)

Malo Gusto and Axel Disasi have been called up as injury replacements ahead of France’s match against the Netherlands in qualifying for the European Championship.

The two players replace defenders Jules Kounde and Dayot Upamecano, the French soccer federation said on Monday as the French squad gathered at the team’s training camp outside Paris.

France takes on the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday. Les Bleus will then host Scotland in a friendly game in the northern city of Lille on Oct. 17.

Kounde picked up a left knee injury while playing for Barcelona in the Spanish league on Sunday. Upamecano injured his left hamstring this weekend with Bayern Munich.

Their withdrawals follow that of Arsenal defender William Saliba, who was replaced Sunday by Jean-Clair Todibo in France’s squad.

France leads Group B and will qualify for the tournament hosted by Germany next year if it beats the Netherlands, or if they draw and Greece loses against Ireland.

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N. Korea Players Celebrate U-20 World Cup Victory in Pyongyang

Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)
Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)
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N. Korea Players Celebrate U-20 World Cup Victory in Pyongyang

Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)
Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)

North Korea's young women's football team received a thunderous homecoming after their title win at the 2024 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, AFP footage showed on Sunday.

The country's U-20 women squad returned home on Saturday after their 1-0 victory over Japan to claim the title in Bogota, their third such victory after tournament wins in 2006 and 2016.

The achievement has placed the isolated country on equal footing with powerhouses Germany and the United States.

The players were greeted by their families at the airport in Pyongyang, many overcome with joy, some in tears.

"I am really happy that we demonstrated to the full the honor of the country. We will continue to demonstrate the dignity of the country," said a visibly emotional Chae Un Yong, captain of the national team.

The players were then escorted onto an open truck decorated with flowers and painted with the North Korean flag, driving through the city as they waved to people on the streets.

"They extended thanks to the cheering citizens, reminding themselves of the time when they played games with the warm encouragement sent by all the people across the country," the official news agency KCNA reported.

AFP footage showed a large crowd of people gathering by the truck to shake the players' hands and wave national flags.

The U-20 Women's World Cup win followed years of the country's withdrawal from international sporting competitions due to the Covid pandemic.

North Korea's women's football team holds a strong foothold on the global stage, ranked ninth, in stark contrast to their male counterparts, who are ranked 111th.