Canada’s soccer governing body said on Monday that the men’s World Cup team had resumed training after refusing to play a friendly against Panama due to tense labor negotiations.
Cannada Soccer announced on social media that both warring parties had met the night before. The team resumed its practices in the afternoon and future meetings have been scheduled.
Canada will play Curacao on Thursday at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium in the CONCACAF Nations League. The Canadian federation did not highlight the upcoming international match in its announcement.
The players said in a terse statement Monday that “we are moving forward in the hope that Canada Soccer will work with us to resolve the situation.”
The match against Panama was called off two hours before kick-off when the Canadian players refused to take the field.
The selected ones, who are preparing for their first presentation of Canada in the World Cup since 1986, did not train on Friday or Saturday.
The players issued a statement on Sunday outlining their contractual demands: They want 40% of their World Cup prize money, a travel package for friends and relatives, and a “fair structure with our women’s national team sharing the same match fees, percentages of prize money at our respective FIFA World Cups and the development of a women’s league in the country.”
Panama was a last-minute substitute after Canada Soccer canceled a match against Iran due to criticism from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canada is scheduled to visit Honduras on June 13 for a CONCACAF Nations League match.
Canada, number 38 in the FIFA ranking, begins its participation in the World Cup in Qatar against Belgium, second in the world, on November 23; will play Coracia, number 16, four days later and Morocco, number 24, on December 1.
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