A campaign is spreading among football fans in Myanmar to avoid watching the 2026 World Cup through the country's official broadcaster, after the rights went to a telecom firm part-owned by the military that seized power in 2021.
The deal at the center of it
FIFA's Myanmar rights went to TV360, the streaming platform of Mytel, which the company says will show dozens of matches free of charge, Burma News International reported. Mytel is a joint venture involving a military-owned conglomerate, Myanmar Economic Corporation, and Vietnam's military-linked Viettel. That ownership is the crux of the controversy: critics say money spent on, or directed toward, Mytel ultimately benefits the armed forces.
"The money goes to the military"
On Facebook, still the dominant platform inside Myanmar, posts urging people to avoid Mytel's coverage have circulated widely, sharing instructions for VPNs and links to foreign feeds so fans can watch without going through the operator. Calls to boycott Mytel predate the World Cup — activists have pushed consumers to drop the company since the 2021 coup — and the tournament has amplified that pressure.
The campaign group Justice for Myanmar urged football's governing body to reverse the deal. Its spokesperson, Yadanar Maung, said "FIFA should immediately revoke Mytel's media rights, uphold human rights and stop undermining sanctions," calling the arrangement "a slap in the face to Myanmar football fans," the Democratic Voice of Burma reported. Rights advocates note that Mytel and its military parent have been placed under US sanctions.
FIFA had not publicly responded to requests for comment from several outlets, The Irrawaddy reported. The military authorities have not commented publicly on the boycott.
Background: a country at war
The dispute unfolds against Myanmar's continuing conflict. The military ousted the elected government in February 2021, triggering mass protests and an armed resistance that has since drawn in pro-democracy militias and established ethnic armed groups. UN agencies describe a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced, and the military has tightly controlled media and shut independent broadcasters since the coup — context in which a military-linked firm holding the World Cup rights has proved especially contentious. Football is hugely popular in Myanmar, even though the national team has never reached a World Cup.
A divided response
Not everyone agrees on tactics. Some fans say switching to a VPN and a foreign broadcaster lets them watch while denying Mytel viewers and revenue; others say they will skip the tournament entirely. The debate captures a wider dilemma for ordinary people in Myanmar: how to enjoy something as everyday as a football match without feeling they are helping to sustain a government they oppose. Reliable figures for how many are taking part in the boycott are not available.
