FIFA Slammed for Granting World Cup Rights to Myanmar Military’s Broadcaster

FIFA is facing a storm of criticism for partnering with Myanmar’s military-owned Mytel, after the U.S.-sanctioned telecoms operator unveiled its exclusive World Cup broadcast plan for the country.

News that TV360—Mytel’s primary TV and digital entertainment platform—will serve as the official Myanmar broadcaster of the world’s most popular sporting tournament sparked an immediate backlash from human rights groups.

“We condemn FIFA’s decision to award media rights to Mytel for the World Cup,” Ma Yadanar Maung, spokesperson of human rights group Justice for Myanmar (JFM), told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. “Mytel is a lucrative source of revenue for the brutal and illegal military junta.”

FIFA’s decision demonstrates “an unacceptable lack of due diligence” and “a total disregard for human rights,” she said, calling on international organizations to stop siding with the regime and its crony businesses.

Jointly operated by the Myanmar military and Vietnam’s military-controlled Viettel, Mytel is one of Myanmar’s four national telecommunication operators.

It joined a long list of military-owned companies penalized by the international community for complicity in the junta’s campaign of violence targeting civilians following the 2021 coup.

The U.S. Department of Commerce imposed sanctions on Mytel in January 2025, explaining that the firm provided “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 U.S., UK, EU, Canada and Australia have also imposed sanctions on Mytel’s parent company, the military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Cooperation (MEC).

“It is deeply shocking— not just for Myanmar but for humanity in general—that a military responsible for repression and widespread human rights violations is being recognized on the international stage,” Thinzar Shunlei Yi, a Myanmar democracy and human rights activist, told The Irrawaddy.

She noted that Mytel routinely provides the regime with users’ personal data, enabling it to conduct a brutal crackdown on dissidents. This complicity in junta surveillance and violence has sparked a widespread public boycott against the mobile operator within Myanmar.

Viettel Group and its partners have also secured World Cup media rights in Vietnam and Laos. It remains unclear how Mytel acquired the broadcasting rights.

“Since there was no official announcement of the broadcasting agreement, we don’t know if it [Mytel] made a direct deal with FIFA or signed a contract with its regional media partner as a sub-broadcaster”, a sport and entertainment analyst told The Irrawaddy.

He said there were few options for Myanmar football fans to watch the World Cup, but broadcast revenue would still likely be modest given the turmoil that has engulfed the country since 2021.

FIFA said it selected broadcasters based on their ability to reach the widest audience and deliver a high-quality viewing experience. Also, the high cost of World Cup broadcasting rights meant applicants had to demonstrate financial capacity to pay the fees in full.

FIFA opened bidding for World Cup media rights in September 2025, and TV360 was selected for Myanmar on May 25.

TV360 unveiled its World Cup broadcasting schedule at the Melia Hotel in Yangon on Monday.

Angered by the deal, some local football fans said they would seek alternative services or even ignore the World Cup, rather than watch Mytel broadcasts that fund the regime’s violence against civilians.

“I won’t watch the World Cup through Mytel’s app. I don’t want to pay them,” one fan told The Irrawaddy. “I will watch the highlights on YouTube or find other ways to follow the matches.”

The tournament features 48 teams, who will play a total of 104 matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, from June 11 to July 19.