“I was looking forward to seeing a full stadium for such a historic match but was disappointed to see there were no fans in the stands," Infantino told fifa.com.

There were a handful of people there – the Swedish ambassador in Pyongyang among them, who live blogged the game on social media – but only a handful. No one was watching at home.

"We were surprised by this and by several issues related to its live broadcast and problems with visas and access for foreign journalists,” Infantino continued.

“For us, freedom of the press and freedom of speech are obviously paramount, but on the other hand it would be naive to think we can change the world from one minute to the next."

Naive is not one of the many words people associate with Fifa.

That the game even took place in Pyongyang could be painted as progress.

The last meeting between these teams in World Cup qualifying scheduled to be played in Pyongyang was moved to Shanghai after the hosts refused to raise the South Korean flag or play their national anthem.

The game that no one saw, and maybe never will depending on whether the South Korean FA were handed the DVD they were promised, sounds like one we were lucky to miss.

That is based on having to follow along online with little more than the minutes elapsed and the scoreline to go on.

The South Koreans have indicated they will kick up a fuss over the trouble they had. They were refused direct travel, instead having to go via Beijing, and journalists were snubbed too. There was no broadcast and no away fans.

They should not hold their breath though. Fifa and the AFC are pretty, let’s say, non confrontational when it comes to making the difficult decisions.

The game’s governing body has not taken a particularly strong stance on the lack of women in Iranian football stadiums, games that should be played in empty stadiums as punishment until women are allowed to watch football whenever they choose.

A small number of women were allowed in for the game against Cambodia last week but it was a token number and a token gesture. There are those, like Belgian MP Darya Safai, who will continue to campaign to see real change.

Infantino, in the same interview following his jolly to the land of juche, he was busy congratulating Fifa for this small step.

“We recently played an important role in a first positive step towards women being allowed in stadiums in Iran. I hope and I will do my very best to ensure that football can contribute, even if in a small way, to improve several things that we believe should change in several societies.”

It is fitting that these matches were played on the road to Qatar 2022. It is probably fitting that this scrutiny comes ahead of an AFC member hosted World Cup that has already upset everyone despite being years from even happening.

Deaths on stadium projects have caused concern, as has the sense of a decision to play a World Cup in stifling heat, the list goes on and that is before the human rights concerns or regional volatility.

This year’s AFC Asian Cup held in the UAE exposed some of the wider geopolitical concerns at play with the blockade on Qatar. Fans not being allowed visas was an issue, while one Briton arrested for supporting Qatar. Depending on who makes it through to the World Cup we might see more of this.

There is also the worry, as pointed out at the recent Doha hosted World Athletics Championships, that no one there is going to go. A World Cup Qualifier at an empty stadium is one thing, the World Cup with no one in the stands is another.

There’ll be plenty other issues for Fifa to sit on the fence about before that, though.