Last Sunday, the US men’s national soccer team defeated Canada 2-0 in the CONCACAF Nations League final. It had been over two decades since Canada had appeared in a tournament final, the Gold Cup in 2000 – which was itself, well, an … anomaly. Canadian coach John Herdman expressed frustration after the match, complaining that the team didn’t have sufficient resources, meaning money.
That might be true looking toward the long-term development of the sport in Canada, but for now, the Canadian side is simply worse than the USMNT.
The loss to the US and Herdman’s subsequent complaints come as Canada, the US, and Mexico prepare to co-host the 2026 men’s World Cup. That will spotlight the Canadian soccer program, which has more to worry about than money and losing — namely the financial and programming imbalance between its men’s and women’s sides despite the latter outperforming the former.
In May, Canada’s Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge imposed conditions on Canada Soccer’s federal funding amid labor and working condition disputes and poor accountability, particularly over how much it spends on men compared to women. In 2022, Canada Soccer’s CA$54 million budget saw $19 million go to the men’s team and $14 million to the women’s team. But the women are more successful, having won gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics, two bronze Olympic medals, and two CONCACAF trophies.
In 2022, US Soccer agreed to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally (in no small part because the US women’s side also outperforms the men, not only on the pitch but in overall fame and sponsorship deals). In March, Canada Soccer offered equal pay to its teams and reached an interim agreement with the women’s side. Overall team funding, however, remains asymmetrical, with the men receiving a majority of the organization’s funding. In 2021, the men’s program received CA$11 million in funding, more than double what the women got — although the men’s program funds included money for the recent World Cup in Qatar, the first Canada qualified for since 1986.
The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is set to begin on July 20. Both Canada and the US have qualified. On Wednesday, the women’s team told Soccer Canada they want the issue of their World Cup pay sorted out before heading to Australia. With the upcoming women’s tournament and the 2026 men’s World Cup on the horizon, expect the conversation about Canada Soccer — and its comparison to US Soccer — to get more heated.
