Canadian Women's National Soccer Team Goes On Strike, Follows USWNT Playbook In Demanding Equal Funding, Pay
The Canadian National Women's Soccer Team have a tournament next weekend — and a World Cup this summer — but instead, they're about to go on strike.
The CWNT announced their strike plans citing a lack of funding and a fight for pay equity (sound familiar?) in a statement on Twitter.
"We, the Women's National Soccer Team players, are demanding immediate change," the statement reads. "Canada Soccer must live up to its public commitment to gender equity and its obligation as the national governing body for soccer in Canada to advance the sport, not drag it down."
The reigning Olympic Gold medalists say that budget cuts have required them to cut back on camps and youth activities. They're demanding the same budget that the men received to prepare for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Men's team voiced support for their efforts in a statement of their own.
"The men's and women's National Team Players Associations have diligently worked together to convince Canada Soccer to provide reasonable and equal compensation and working conditions," the statement reads. It goes on to discuss Canada Soccer's reluctance to provide financial records.
The team is currently in Orlando to compete in the SheBelieves Cup but was seen practicing in inside-out jerseys in protest.
The US Women's National Team got into a similar dispute with US Soccer several years ago. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
If This Situation Sounds Familiar, Thank The USWNT
One of the other teams competing in that tournament is the U.S. Women's National Team who had a similar pay dispute with U.S. Soccer several years ago.
It sounds like there could be bigger issues at play in the Canada Soccer situation. If it's a matter of "let's pay the men's team and the women's team the same amount," we all know why that doesn't make much sense.
I mean, it's so obvious, even Don Lemon understands it.
Even an average men's national team brings in more money than a world-beating women's squad. For instance, the USWNT brought in $6 million from winning the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups.
The USMNT earned $13 million by getting out of the group stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Half of that went to the Women's team.
Yes, they made more sitting at home than they did winning two World Cups. Maybe Megan Rapinoe isn't as much of a dope as she seems (kidding, she is).
It stands to reason that Soccer Canada, which before 2022 hadn't made a Men's World Cup appearance since 1986, would want to dump money into the men's team even at the cost of its women's team World Cup performance.
We'll have to see if there are other factors at play, but if it's a burgeoning soccer nation following the money, what's the problem?
Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle