June 22 – Canada’s national team want a pay dispute settled before leaving for the Women’s World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand will co-host this summer.
The women’s team and the CSA (Canada Soccer Association) have been locked in a labour dispute for over a year but with the global finals drawing near Christine Sinclair (pictured), who holds the international goalscoring record, has urged for a deal to be done.
“We’re not at a point where we’re not getting on a plane, but time’s coming where we want it done so as players we’re not having to deal with it while we’re trying to prepare,” Sinclair said.
“But us as a women’s team have flat out told the CSA that we need a deal in place for at least the World Cup and this year before we head down there.
“I think it will happen. Will it be a long-term deal? No. But something will be done before the World Cup starts.”
In February, at the SheBelieves Cup in the US, the Canadian women threatened to go on strike and boycott the tournament and vowed future boycotts if their demands over pay equity were not met. Ultimately, they played under protest. Since 2021, the team has been without a collective bargaining agreement.
The CSA has been going through an institutional crisis with executives coming and going, but their national teams have been excelling. Canada’s men’s team reached the World Cup for the first time since 1986 last year and the women’s team won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The Canadians, who are the Olympic champions, will face Australia, Nigeria and Ireland at the World Cup. They will open their campaign against the Africans on July 21 in Melbourne.
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