A Myanmar rights group says FIFA’s decision to grant Mytel exclusive World Cup broadcast rights rewards a telecom tied to Myanmar’s military regime, which seized power in 2021. Justice For Myanmar is urging FIFA to reverse course.
A Myanmar rights group says it learned only this week that FIFA has granted exclusive World Cup broadcast rights in Myanmar to Mytel—an operator tied to the military government—and it is calling the decision an open affront to sanctions and to people who have been boycotting the company.
Justice For Myanmar. speaking to The Associated Press on Friday. said it only became aware of FIFA’s choice after Mytel launched its local advertising campaign for the World Cup. The group urged FIFA to revoke Mytel’s media rights. saying FIFA must “uphold human rights and stop undermining sanctions. ” as the spokesperson for Justice For Myanmar. Yadanar Maung. put it.
The criticism isn’t abstract. Mytel is one of Myanmar’s four telecom operators and is a joint venture between Myanmar’s military and Vietnam’s military-controlled Viettel. Launched in 2018. Mytel provides revenue to Myanmar’s military and has become a major target for opponents of the regime. including a consumer boycott.
Maung said the situation is “an insult to the many people of Myanmar who have given their lives resisting a brutal and illegal junta,” describing the boycott of Mytel and calling FIFA’s move a “slap in the face to Myanmar football fans.” She said FIFA should “right this now.”
The response from the companies and the governing body has been absent. Mytel did not answer calls, did not return a voicemail message, and did not respond to an emailed request for comment. FIFA also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Behind the dispute is a long-running fight over who profits from Myanmar’s military-run rule. Myanmar has been locked in a brutal civil war since the military government seized power from democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. The conflict pits the military-run government against a patchwork of long-established militias organized by ethnic minority groups and newly formed pro-democracy forces.
Justice For Myanmar’s account arrives after FIFA set up a route that, on paper, appears procedural. FIFA launched an open tender for Myanmar media rights in September 2025 before selecting Mytel.
The rights group’s argument also draws strength from U.S. sanctions. Last year, Mytel was added to a list of entities sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department for actions and activities “contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the Untied States.” The Commerce Department said the company was being added for providing surveillance services and financial support to Myanmar’s military regime—support described as enabling the regime to carry out human rights abuses through the tracking and identification of target individuals and groups.
The United States and others have also imposed sanctions on Myanmar Economic Corporation, described as the parent company of Mytel.
The World Cup itself is already underway. The 2026 World Cup is being played in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with games running until mid-July. Myanmar does not have a team in the competition. but soccer remains the country’s most popular sport. and major international events—including the World Cup and top European matches—draw large television and online audiences. Brazil, England, Argentina, Portugal and Germany are listed among top favorites in the country.
The sequence of events—FIFA selecting Mytel after an open tender. Mytel rolling out a World Cup advertising campaign. and a rights group learning of the deal only this week—has brought a familiar tension to the forefront: when global tournaments move fast. sanctions and political realities can move even faster for the people living under them.
Myanmar FIFA Mytel World Cup broadcast rights Justice For Myanmar military regime sanctions Aung San Suu Kyi Viettel U.S. Commerce Department
So FIFA picked the wrong company again, shocking.
Wait they only found out because Mytel started running ads?? That seems kinda convenient, not gonna lie. If they’re tied to the military then yeah, FIFA should back up and change it.
I don’t even watch soccer like that but how does this affect regular fans? Isn’t it just broadcasting rights? Like people are boycotting a phone company and somehow that’s FIFA’s fault too. Still, if there’s sanctions involved then sure, FIFA should listen.
This is wild. FIFA acting like they didn’t know Mytel is basically military money laundering or whatever, and now the group is like “we JUST heard.” But of course there’s a boycott so why would FIFA put their brand with them. Also it’s weird Vietnam’s company is involved—maybe everyone’s pretending it’s not political. FIFA needs to cut it immediately because this feels like rewarding the junta.