Canada’s preparations for this year’s World Cup were plunged into further turmoil as players went on a de-facto strike in Vancouver ahead of the country’s hastily re-arranged friendly with Panama on Sunday.
John Herdman’s squad refused to train on both Friday and Saturday in an apparent protest over compensation and player perks for Qatar 2022, with months of fruitless talks reaching a head. The players and Canada Soccer are reportedly still markedly apart on demands with an initial report from TSN suggesting the players had asked for a 40% cut of World Cup revenues with the association offering just 10% of a Fifa windfall that is likely in the $10-15 million range.
