Canada national team players refused to play a friendly match against Panama that was scheduled to take place yesterday, Sunday, due to a dispute with the local football association over financial compensation and other issues, ahead of the national team’s historic participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The players refused to train in recent days because of this dispute, saying in a letter that the association "did not respect our team and destroyed our efforts to raise standards and advance the game in Canada. It is time to take a stand for the future of soccer in Canada."
 

The letter outlines a number of issues, including demands for more transparency, better leadership, and a 40% share of revenues from qualifying for the World Cup finals in Qatar, while the association proposes granting only 10% of the revenues to the players.

The players called for equal rewards with the women's team in terms of match-related income, profit shares in the World Cup finals, and the development of a dedicated local league for women.

Through this letter, the players apologized to the fans of Canada and Panama saying, "We hope that the Canada Soccer Association takes decisive steps to work with our team so that we can return to the field to play our match on June 9" in the CONCACAF Nations League against the Curacao national team.

The association president said he "feels deeply disappointed" by the players' decision and pointed out that the association "has acted in good faith with the players to find a fair solution for everyone."

This is the second friendly match canceled from the Canada national team’s schedule, following the cancellation of a match against Iran amid a protest led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau considered holding the match a "bad idea" out of respect for the families of the passengers who died when Iranian forces shot down a Ukrainian Airlines plane on January 8, 2020, which carried dozens of Canadians and residents in Canada.

Canada’s national team is preparing to participate in the World Cup in Qatar at the end of this year, 36 years after their first appearance in the event. Canada will play in Group F alongside Belgium, Morocco, and Croatia.