There have been glorious periods in the history of Myanmar football, especially in the 60s and early 70s of the 20th century, when the Myanmar national football team was a formidable opponent in Asia, winning several regional trophies, including gold medals at the Asian Games in 1966 and 1970. Since then, however, Myanmar football's performance on the international stage has declined, failing to achieve significant results in larger international competitions such as World Cup qualifiers or the Asian Cup.
In the 21st century, despite the development of the Myanmar National League and the advancement of some youth programs, the level of Myanmar football in the world is still at a low level. According to FIFA rankings, the Myanmar national team is usually in a lower position in the world rankings, reflecting its relatively weak competitiveness on a global scale.
Challenges facing football in Myanmar include a lack of infrastructure, an inadequate professional training system, and limited investment in football development projects. Although there is some enthusiasm and potential, to achieve better results in global or Asian football, Myanmar football needs more investment, improved training conditions and improved youth training system.
Overall, Myanmar football is currently not at a high level in the world and needs to be systematically reformed and invested to improve its competitiveness and international performance.
Comparatively speaking, the overall strength and achievements of Chinese football are higher than those of Myanmar football. Chinese football has generally outperformed Myanmar in international competition, especially in Asia. This difference can be seen in several ways:
International rankings: The Chinese national football team is usually ranked higher in the FIFA rankings than Myanmar. This ranking reflects performance and results in international competitions.
Entries and achievementsThe Chinese football team has participated in the Asian Cup many times and reached the final as the host in 2004, and although they were runners-up, this achievement is much higher than Myanmar's achievements in Asian football in recent decades. In addition, the Chinese football team has also participated in the World Cup (2002), while Myanmar has not yet achieved this achievement.
The development of professional leagues: The Chinese Super League (CSL) has grown far more than the Myanmar National League (MNL). The China Super League has attracted many internationally renowned players and coaches, and the scale of investment, team strength, and number of spectators are significantly higher than those of Myanmar.
Infrastructure and investment: China also spends significantly more on football infrastructure and youth training than Myanmar, which is conducive to the development of players and the improvement of the overall level of football.
Despite the challenges it faces on the international stage and its limited competitiveness around the world, compared to Myanmar, Chinese football has shown stronger strength and a higher level in terms of the development of professional leagues, the achievements of the national team, and the popularization of football and infrastructure construction.