The statement said that talks between the association and the team, which have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 36 years, have been going on since March. Canada Soccer initially called talks “unnecessarily lengthy” and submitted an insufficient offer only on Thursday.

“For these reasons, we have reluctantly decided not to play our game against Panama tonight,” said the team of Bayern Munich full-back Alfonso Davies. “It is time we stand up for the future of football in Canada.”

The team also called for a “similar structure to our women’s national team”. The dispute with the association is expected to be resolved with Thursday’s CONCACAF Nations League game against Curacao.

Ten days earlier, the association canceled a planned trial against Iran after criticism of the appointment. In 2020, a plane crash involving two Iranian anti-aircraft missiles killed 176 people. Many Canadian citizens are also involved in the deaths of those on board the crashed plane.

The game was originally scheduled to be played on 5 June, with Panama as substitute opponents.

(SID)