Canada Soccer July 2022 Update

With less than five months until the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and one year from the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, Canada Soccer will be making regular updates, informing fans of matters pertaining to Canada Soccer’s National Teams, and the state of soccer in Canada. The renewed efforts are meant to increase communications during some of the most important months in the organisation’s history.

“We know there is a tremendous amount of excitement and interest around our national programs right now,” said Dr. Nick Bontis, President at Canada Soccer. “As the eyes of the world turn to our players, our organisation and our membership, we will strive to ensure that Canadians and media alike are better informed of what is happening with the state of soccer in our country. It is within this spirit of transparency that we are endeavoring to provide frequent updates as we move towards an incredibly exciting time for soccer in our nation’s history.”

Canada Soccer’s July 2022 update:

FAIRNESS & PAY EQUITY

Historically, Canada Soccer has engaged both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams independently when finalising mutually agreed contracts and agreements related to player compensation and conditions within their high-performance environments. However, Canada Soccer and its Women’s and Men’s National Team have taken a more progressive simultaneous approach in 2022. In the ongoing negotiations with both teams, we aim to equalise matters related to compensation for the player pool, travel policy, and the configuration of high-performance environments. Canada Soccer feels confident that the equitable standards and structures will be made permanent in the new and revised agreements that are currently being proposed.

A formal announcement will be made once negotiations are finalised.

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

Negotiations with Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team (#CANMNT) are ongoing and we have been working diligently in recent weeks to improve communications with the team’s representatives. While we will continue to negotiate confidentially with our Men’s National Team — as a willing and respectful partner — we are happy to inform the public that a revised proposal was sent on 23 June 2022. We remain confident that an agreement will be made in due course.

CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

Negotiations with Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team (#CANWNT) are ongoing and there continues to be a productive dialogue between both sides. To be respectful to the process, we will continue to negotiate confidentially with our Women’s National Team and are able to inform the public that a revised proposal was sent on 23 June 2022 and lawyers representing the CANWNT have replied acknowledging receipt of the proposal. Both sides are working collaboratively towards an agreement.

CONCACAF W CHAMPIONSHIP – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023 & PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFICATION

The Women’s National Team is about to kick off on the most important competitive window since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Beginning 4 June 2022, the Concacaf W Championship begins, with Canada opening up their Group B play on July 5 versus Trinidad and Tobago. Costa Rica and Panama are the other two nations in Canada’s group.
At the end of round-robin play, the top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout semifinal round and, more importantly, qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™. The two third-ranked teams in each group will qualify for an inter-confederation playoff, which will be held in February 2023.
Results from this critical championship will also determine qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The winner of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship will qualify for the women’s football tournament at Paris 2024. The runner-up and third-place teams will qualify for the Concacaf Olympic play-in, which will be held in September 2023.

FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022™ — INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team continues to prepare for Qatar 2022, the first time our Men’s National Team will compete at the FIFA World Cup™ in 36 years. Over the past few weeks, we have been in active conversations with representatives from multiple nations. We can confirm that dates have been set for two FIFA World Cup preparation matches in the September window.

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team will compete in two international friendlies in Europe on 23 September and 27 September 2022. Canada Soccer is in the final stages of the contract process and will be announcing its opponents soon.

We are also in the final stages of negotiations for the Men’s National Team’s final preparation match in November prior to Qatar 2022™ and will announce publicly the opposition and location when it has been finalised.