![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Canada-football-club-696x392.jpg\" "\\"Canada")
The Canada men\u2019s national team went on strike on Sunday, forcing a friendly with Panama to be called off.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s refusal to play revolves around a dispute with the country\u2019s football association, Canada Soccer.<\/p>\n
Canada have qualified for the 2022 World Cup, only the second time they have reached the men\u2019s finals.<\/p>\n
The players released a letter accusing Canada Soccer of \u201cdisrespecting\u201d the team in relation to negotiations around World Cup prize money.<\/p>\n
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Among several issues outlined in the letter is a request for an equitable pay structure, along with the women\u2019s national team, that would see them earn 40% of World Cup prize money.<\/p>\n
There are conflicting reports around the percentage of World Cup prize money the players have been offered by Canada Soccer.<\/p>\n
TSN\u00a0first reported\u00a0that national team players had been offered about 10% of the total amount the country would get from Fifa, set to be at least $10 million (\u00a38m).<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Canada Soccer told TSN its offer was 60% to be split equally between players on the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be clear, the men\u2019s national team demand was for 75-100% of the World Cup prize money,\u201d Canada Soccer said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe association, in an effort to adhere to the principle of pay equity, proposed 60% of the Fifa World Cup prize money to be split between the two national teams (i.e. 30% + 30% to the players of each team) and 40% for the association.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis later said the offer had been \u201cbenchmarked\u201d against other national teams, adding: \u201cCanada Soccer has been working with the players in good faith to find a path forward that is fair and equitable to all.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would like to have a facts-based discussion within the fiscal reality that Canada Soccer has to live with every day.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada Soccer is committed to the principles of fairness and equity, and we believe we presented a fair offer to the players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players also were reportedly upset about Canada Soccer\u2019s arrangements for players\u2019 families at the World Cup in Qatar, with only two family tickets offered per player.<\/p>\n
Canada are due to play Curacao in the Concacaf Nations League on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada Soccer has disrespected our team and jeopardised our efforts to raise the standards and effectively advance the game in Canada,\u201d read the letter released by the players, which apologised to Canadian and Panamanian fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope Canada Soccer will take decisive steps to work with our team so we can be back on the field for our match on June 9.\u201d<\/p>\n
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