CANADA SOCCER CONTRACT DISPUTES

Soccer

Written by Aaron Cantin

A heated contract dispute between the men's national squad and Canada Soccer has left a sour taste in soccer fans’ mouths across the nation.

A friendly game between Canada and Panama was called off at the last minute on Sunday when the athletes refused to play. Training sessions in Vancouver on Friday and Saturday were also cancelled due to the prolonged negotiations. What was supposed to be a “celebration of the historic qualification” ended up being the exact opposite of what they needed?

Source (Background Photo): Canada Soccer

Hundreds of fans in red and white jerseys were left lingering outside of B.C. Place after Sunday's game was cancelled. What we learned quickly is that fans do not have sympathy for contract issues, nor should they.

The men's team issued a statement on Sunday saying they've been in talks with Canada Soccer over a new deal since March and called a proposal the organization put forward on Thursday an "archaic offer." The players said they want more transparency from Canada Soccer, changes in the organization's leadership, and World Cup compensation that includes 40 per cent of prize money and a "comprehensive friends and family package" for Qatar.

In the statement, the athletes apologized to fans and said they hope Canada Soccer will take "decisive steps" to work with the team so they can be back on the field Thursday when Canada is scheduled to host Curacao in a CONCACAF Nations League game at B.C. Place.

The organization was also heavily criticized last month for inviting Iran to play a friendly in Vancouver. More than 40,000 tickets for the Canada-Iran game were sold before it was cancelled by Canada Soccer on May 26th. Panama was named as the replacement opponent on May 31st. Between the Canada-Iran game and the contract dispute, Canada Soccer is derailing all the momentum built up by the national teams' recent success.

With less than six months to go before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, Canada is losing valuable training time as the contract dispute continues. There's little time for Canada Soccer and the players to reach a deal if Thursday's CONCACAF Nations League game in Vancouver is going to go ahead.

If the team was not to play, Concacaf and FIFA could sanction Canada Soccer. The difference with cancelling friendlies is that payments are made to the affected federations from the responsible party or Canada Soccer in this case. That’s why it’s imperative that progress is made so that there are no further disruptions.

Canada's national soccer teams have seen huge success on the world stage recently, with the men's team qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1986 and the women's side capturing gold at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. And with Canada co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside the U.S. and Mexico, the sport is primed for big growth across the country. Don’t screw this up Canada Soccer.