Is Canada Soccer showing the women's national team a lack of support?

The FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand this month but if you're in Canada, you'd be forgiven for not knowing the Olympic champions are preparing for a shot at the title. Promotion of the Canadian team has been limited against the backdrop of a pay & equity dispute with the country's beleaguered governing body.

Video Transcript

- There has been little fanfare as the Canadian Women's national team prepares to jet off to Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup this summer. So what's going on? And is anyone to blame? Earlier this year, the Canadian Women's national team released a statement that expressed their concern after Canada Soccer announced significant budget cuts to national team programs in 2023.

Moreover, the women were outraged that they'd receive less compensation and support ahead of their tournament this summer than the men did in Qatar last year. However, the lack of support isn't just financial. Supposedly, due to the dispute, there's less access to support staff, training, and international matches. Currently, no deal is settled. But they're working with a makeshift model that focuses on results-based compensation and per game incentives.

There's also a lack of promotion ahead of this summer's tournament. Canada Soccer has hardly posted on social media outside of their preparation camp roster. And many fans are wondering why there's no fanfare. The women's team told the Canadian Soccer Association that they want to settle the pay dispute before leaving for the World Cup. Captain Christine Sinclair said, "we're not at a point where we're not getting on a plane. But time is coming where we want it done, so as players, we're not having to deal with it while we're trying to prepare."

Head Coach Bev Priestman added that she thinks the dispute is a distraction for the players. But she has hope a deal can be achieved. If no deal can be reached, many wonder how this will affect the future of women's soccer in Canada.

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