Von Ridley / Getty Images
Canada’s men’s national football team has gone on strike to compensate players ahead of Sunday’s friendly against Panama.
Westhead shared a copy of the letter outlining the players’ demands, which includes a 40 percent stake in the World Cup prize pool:
Rick Westhead @rwesthead
This is the letter “Dear Canada”, published by the players of the national men’s team of Canada.
Please review the broadcast of Canada Soccer & sponsorship agreements, 40% of the money for qualifying for the World Cup and a joint agreement with the women’s team with equal compensation for match fees. pic.twitter.com/STazGyJ9MW
Canada Soccer has confirmed that the match has been canceled:
Canada Football @CanadaSoccerEN
The international match of the Canadian men’s national football team, scheduled for Sunday, June 5 at BC Place, has been canceled. Additional details will be provided to all ticket buyers. pic.twitter.com/jUnxTTpZe5
The moment of the news could not be much worse for the fans who planned to attend the friendly match.
Faizal Khamisa @SNFaizalKhamisa
I flew to Vancouver with my father to come and catch a game. Just in obscurity at the moment.
Ben Steiner @ BenSteiner00
CBC Place, Vancouver
Some Canadian fans are already queuing up in front of and around bars in the area 2 hours before the scheduled start.
Some aren’t sure about the news … expect a lot more to show up, despite the cancellation.
BC Place Security and operations are fully tuned. pic.twitter.com/tM0TXZUmND
Joe Callaghan @ JoeCallaghan84
Of course, the situation is extremely mobile and complicated, but the communication of Canada Soccer (much like during the defeat in Iran) was miserable. Fans are left here unaware of what is happening.
In terms of insisting on meaningful change, the levers for the men’s national team have probably never been higher than they are now.
While Canada’s women’s team is the backbone of the FIFA World Cup and sixth in the FIFA rankings, the men will compete in their first World Cup since 1986, when they travel to Qatar later this year.
This only raised expectations for Les Rouges in 2026, when Canada will host the World Cup along with Mexico and the United States.
The men’s national team wrote that it hopes that punching a ticket for the 2022 World Cup “will bring a level of respect and financial opportunities that could raise the standards and opportunities for the next generation of players in our country and change the trajectory of football. in Canada forever. “
The team also said that “Canada Soccer has signed an agreement with Canadian Soccer Business, which completely compromises their ability to use the success of our national adult teams.”
Sunday’s strike was followed by a similar dispute between the US women’s national team and US Soccer. The women claimed that there was a big gap between their income and that of men, although the USWNT won consecutive World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
The long-running battle finally came to an end in May, with US Soccer signing collective agreements with USMNT and USWNT that guaranteed equal pay, including equal payouts from the World Cup.
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