Soccer-South and North Korea seek Women's World Cup in latest detente

South and North Korea's football associations have registered interest in jointly hosting the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA said on Tuesday, in another potential sporting detente after their unified team competed at the Winter Olympics. The sport's world governing body received a record nine host submissions, which also came from Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Each nation has until April 16 to make its final submission, with a decision expected in March next year, FIFA said. "This is the largest-ever list of MAs (member associations) to have submitted formal expressions of interest to FIFA with a view to hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup," said a statement.

In an effort to ease political tensions on the divided Korean peninsula, a unified team from north and south competed at last year's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. They also fielded joint teams under a common flag at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)