Squads are convening, warm-up games are kicking off and players will soon be boarding flights to Australia and New Zealand with less than a month until the 2023 Women’s World Cup starts in Auckland. Yet with time ticking down to the opening game on July 20, at least two participating nations are still locked in significant disputes with their federations.
Much was made of Canada‘s threat to strike ahead of the SheBelieves Cup earlier this year, with the Olympic champions at an impasse with Canada Soccer that forced an overhaul behind the scenes and a lengthy mediation. The dispute didn’t solely hinge on direct remuneration, but the financial side of the row continues to be the sticking point months later. As Christine Sinclair, Canada’s 40-year-old captain and all-time-leading goal scorer, told the Canadian Press earlier this week, “We’re not at a point where we’re not getting on a plane, but time’s coming where we want it done so as players we’re not having to deal with it while we’re trying to prepare.”
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That plane in question departs for the World Cup on June 28, forcing a greater sense of urgency, though there is a question of what happens should a deal, or a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA),…
