A Myanmar rights group is urging FIFA to reverse its decision to grant exclusive World Cup broadcast rights to a U.S.-sanctioned company linked to the country’s military that seized power of the five years ago.
The group, Justice For Myanmar, told The Associated Press on Friday it only learned this week that international soccer’s governing body FIFA had granted the exclusive Myanmar broadcast rights to Mytel after the telecoms operator launched its local advertising campaign for the World Cup.
Mytel, one of Myanmar’s four telecom operators, is a joint venture between the Myanmar military and Vietnam’s military-controlled Viettel. Launched in 2018, it provides revenue to Myanmar’s military and has been a major target of the opponents of the military and the focus of a consumer boycott.
Myanmar is embroiled in a brutal civil war between regime forces, which seized power from democratically-elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, and a disparate group of long-established militias organized by the country’s many ethnic minority groups as well as newly-formed pro-democracy forces.
“FIFA should immediately revoke Mytel’s media rights, uphold human rights and stop undermining sanctions,” said Yadanar Maung, the Justice for Myanmar spokesperson.
“This is an insult to the many people of Myanmar who have given their lives resisting a brutal and illegal junta, who have been boycotting Mytel, and a slap in the face to Myanmar football fans,” the spokesperson added. “FIFA needs to right this now.”
Mytel did not answer calls, return a voicemail message or respond to an emailed request for comment. FIFA also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
FIFA launched an open tender for Myanmar media rights in September 2025 before selecting Mytel.
Mytel was added last year to a list of entities in Myanmar, also known as Burma, sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department for “actions and activities that are contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the Untied States.”
“This entity is being added for providing surveillance services and financial support to Burma’s military regime, enabling the regime to carry out human rights abuses through the tracking and identification of target individuals and groups,” the Commerce Department said in announcing the Mytel sanctions.
The United States and others also have imposed sanctions on the Myanmar military’s Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), Mytel’s parent company.
The 2026 World Cup is underway in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., with games until mid-July.
Myanmar does not have a team in competition, but soccer is the country’s most popular sport and major events like the World Cup, as well as top European matches attract large television and online audiences. Brazil, England, Argentina, Portugal and Germany are top favorites in the country.
AP
