Men's squad says Canada Soccer attempting to force national teams into 'inadequate' deal

Canada's men's soccer team says the national organization is "attempting to capitalize on the pressure of the Women's World Cup" to force an "inadequate" compensation deal.

In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, the men's team said it is working with the women's team — which plays its second World Cup group-stage match on Wednesday — to finalize a short-term payment agreement with Canada Soccer.

"Unfortunately, Canada Soccer has reduced its offers from one proposal to the next despite receiving no additional or higher demands from the national team players," the statement read.

The men's team added that it remains unpaid from its own World Cup, which ended in December.

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The team claimed that Canada Soccer is saying it cannot honour an offer proposed by former president Nick Bontis in March "because [it was] made without the approval of the board of directors or the chief financial officer."

It says Canada Soccer is attempting to keep 70 per cent of combined men's and women's World Cup earnings while "simultaneously demanding" per-game compensation is reduced by up to 75 per cent.

CBC Sports has reached out to Canada Soccer for a response.

Canada Soccer and its men's and women's teams have been embroiled in a labour dispute for more than a year.

The women have been without a labour deal since the last one expired at the end of 2021. Captain Christine Sinclair said she expected a deal ahead of its first World Cup match, but that never materialized.

The men are working on their first formal labour