Canada Soccer and the men's national team have agreed to compensation for players' participation in next year's World Cup.
But there is one catch that will hopefully be resolved by the start of the 48-team tournament on June 11. Although there is a deal, it has not yet been formalized.
“Framework Agreement on Labor between [Canada Soccer] and players include World Cup compensation in both 2026 and 2027,” Canada Soccer said in a statement to The Canadian Press, referring to the 2026 Men's World Cup and 2027 Women's World Cup. “Its ratification depends on the CSB. [Canadian Soccer Business] the agreement is being resolved.”
Canadian Soccer Business, whose investor group and board of directors includes the owners of the Canadian Premier League, handles the marketing and broadcast rights for both Canada Soccer and the CPL, which just completed its seventh season.
Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of Canada Soccer, announced in September 2024 that the association had reached a “framework” for a long-awaited labor agreement with its national teams. But the deal was contingent on a reworked agreement with CSB, he said at the time.
James Johnson, group CEO of Canadian Soccer Business, says such an agreement is inevitable.
“We're in a great position. We're not there yet, but we're not that far away,” Johnson told the Footy Prime podcast earlier this month.
“[An agreement] will definitely be there before the World Cup. I hope this will happen much earlier than the World Cup,” he added.
Players have complained that the existing CSB agreement is holding back the game and preventing national teams from getting the training they need.
Prices for some resale tickets for next summer's World Cup matches in Toronto and Vancouver have fallen after FIFA announced the full tournament schedule over the weekend.
Women's agreement is linked to men's negotiations
Canada Soccer is expected to receive about $4 million per year under the current deal as a “rights royalty guarantee beneficiary.” This amount has increased by approximately $500,000 each year leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
The women's previous labor agreement expired at the end of 2021. Although they reached a temporary labor agreement with Canada Soccer, that agreement was tied to negotiations with men, given the equal pay provisions of the agreement.
The Canadian Soccer Players Association, formed by Canadian women in 2016, turned up the heat by filing a $40 million lawsuit against 15 current and former members of Canada Soccer's board of directors, accusing them of “negligence and breach of fiduciary duty” regarding the CSB contract.
The men are negotiating their first official agreement since the formation of the Canadian Men's National Soccer Team Players Association in the summer of 2022.
Meanwhile, Canada Soccer expects improved performance for fiscal 2025.
The association expected the deficit to be $2.4 million, down from a $4 million deficit in fiscal year 2024. Canada Soccer now says the deficit is expected to be smaller than originally forecast.
This is due to increased revenue: Canada Soccer notes that investment in youth teams nearly doubled in fiscal year 2025, with more investment expected next year.
Canada Soccer, which posted revenue of $37.5 million in 2024, says it expects a “significant surplus” in 2026.
Signe Butler is joined by Canadian soccer player Dwayne De Rosario to give instant reactions to Canada's World Cup group! What does this draw mean for 2026? Did Canada receive a favorable group? Who poses the threats? Who should fans care? DeRoe tells it all with passion, insight, and some bold predictions.
World Cup wins will help Canadian soccer
Teams will earn at least US$10.5 million for the FIFA World Cup, with all participants receiving US$1.5 million in prep money plus prize money ranging from US$9 million for teams that don't make it past the group stage to US$50 million for the winner.
Canada Soccer says the money will be used to increase its financial reserves so it can support its programs in non-World Cup years.
The so-called legacy funding that Canada will receive as a co-host will go towards infrastructure projects such as the national training centre, Blue said.
“But we don’t have specific numbers yet,” he said in an interview.
Canada Soccer is currently soliciting interest from potential partners to establish a national training facility, with the application deadline closing in February. This will result in a shortlist and funding model based on a variety of sources, including World Cup legacy funding, as well as private and public support.
On the philanthropic side, Canada Soccer says its Canada Rising campaign has raised more than $14 million on its way to a $25 million goal by the end of 2027.
Canada Soccer says its CanadaRed supporters group currently has approximately 186,000 members, including more than 13,000 paying members.
The updated program includes seven tiers, including five paid tiers ranging from $50 to $5,000 per year. Fans wishing to purchase tickets to Canada Soccer matches at the World Cup must enter the CanadaRed draw, with the odds of success depending on their level.
Blue says there were fewer than 1,000 paying members before the program was overhauled ahead of the World Cup.
Canada Soccer says the money received from CanadaRed “increases funding for our national team system, helps support the growth and education of Canadian coaches, and provides additional funding for programs that increase access to youth soccer.”
Blue notes that Canada Soccer, while understanding fans' frustration with ticket prices, does not have any say in tournament pricing.
The schedule for the FIFA World Cup matches has been announced. Toronto will play six games at BMO Field, which will soon be known as Toronto Stadium for the duration of the World Cup. CBC's Mercedes Gaztambide met with excited fans.
