CanWNT’s players’ association sues Canada Soccer for $40M

The GIST: On the eve of No. 10 CanWNT’s 6–0 CONCACAF W Gold Cup win over No. 104 El Salvador, the Canadian Soccer Players’ Association (which represents CanWNT) filed a lawsuit against its employer, Canada Soccer, for $40M, alleging financial negligence.

The background: CanWNT has been negotiating a new labor agreement with Canada Soccer since their previous deal expired in 2021. CanWNT threatened to strike at the SheBelieves Cup in February 2023, advocating for equal pay with the men’s team amid drastic budget cuts.

• CanWNT ultimately competed in that tourney under threat of legal action from Canada Soccer and without any resolution to their wage dispute. Then in March, it was reported that CanWNT’s funding was “on life support,” leading Canada’s Parliament to demand answers regarding Canada Soccer’s finances.

• Members of Parliament specifically asked why Canada Soccer agreed to a controversial media rights deal with Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), in which CSB would only pay Canada Soccer a max of $3.5M per year for the sponsorships rights to CanWNT and CanMNT through 2027 — a serious undervaluation.

The latest: And that’s where Wednesday’s lawsuit comes in. Canada Soccer’s total sponsorship deals are estimated to be worth $15 to 20M annually, but the filing alleges Canada Soccer only receives the previously agreed upon annual fee of $3.5M from CSB. What?

• The TL;DR? CanWNT’s players’ union is suing their employer for making what they consider to be a bad business deal, one that has significantly hampered Canada Soccer’s overall revenue and directly impacts the conditions under which the athletes play.

Zooming out: From Spain’s La Roja to Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz to Zambia’s Copper Queens, CanWNT — the reigning Olympic champs — are among several senior women’s national teams speaking out against inadequate treatment from their governing bodies. Imagine if they could simply focus on fútbol.