North Korea accused of broadcasting World Cup 2026 without rights

North Korea is facing allegations that its state-run broadcaster has aired FIFA World Cup 2026 matches without securing official broadcasting rights, raising the possibility of disciplinary action if confirmed.

Football media outlet Alerta Mundial claimed on X that North Korea’s Korean Central Television (KCTV) had intercepted and retransmitted official satellite signals to broadcast tournament matches, Korea Joongang Daily reports. 

The outlet shared footage appearing to show Group E matches between Ivory Coast and Ecuador and between Germany and Curaçao, with an on-screen caption reading: “FIFA 2026 World Cup group matches.”

It alleged that KCTV was receiving foreign satellite feeds, possibly from neighbouring countries such as China, and rebroadcasting them without authorization. North Korea has not been granted official FIFA broadcasting rights for the tournament.

FIFA has not yet issued a public response, but observers say potential action could follow if the claims are verified.

This is not the first such incident. In 2023, FIFA confirmed that North Korea had aired Women’s World Cup matches without permission and issued a warning to its state broadcasting authority.

The country has previously shown delayed or limited World Cup coverage through arrangements involving international broadcasters, including during earlier tournaments when special access agreements were in place for select countries.

By Sabina Mammadli