Canada's Schmidt happy to be at World Cup after threatening to walk away in February

MELBOURNE, Australia : Canadian midfielder Sophie Schmidt was ready to retire over her squad's ongoing labour dispute with their federation, threatening to fly home in the middle of the SheBelieves Cup tournament in the United States in February.

Coach Bev Priestman and captain Christine Sinclair convinced her to sleep on it and, on the eve of Canada's crunch game against Australia at the Women's World Cup, Schmidt is glad she listened to them.

"Thanks to Sinc and Bev for talking me off that ledge," Schmidt told reporters on Sunday. "But honestly, the ride has been incredible. Being in a World Cup is something special, and I think I would have greatly regretted my decision if I would had walked away in that moment.

"I'm just embracing every second that I can, trying to bring my best self to this team and push the standards. I think we have a long World Cup run ahead of us. (Monday) is a big step, but we're up for the challenge and, day by day, I'm embracing every second."

The 35-year-old Schmidt, who has 223 caps for Canada, plans to retire after this, her fifth World Cup.

The team reached an interim pay agreement on Friday with Canada Soccer to secure compensation for 2023, amid the governing body's financial constraints, saying the new agreement included prize money allocation from the World Cup.

They added in a statement from the Canadian Soccer Players Association (CSPA) however that they were disappointed with not having reached a "more complete" deal and that the dispute "isn't over".

While Schmidt might not see her squad get fully over the pay equity finish line while still a player, the midfielder, who has an Olympic gold and two bronze medals, is proud of the legacy she will leave in Canadian soccer.

"The core of us