Canadian soccer officials have admitted to FIFA that spying on opponents was a common practice for both the men’s and women’s national teams, leading to a scandal involving the use of drones at the Paris Olympics. This scandal is now threatening to impact the men’s team at the 2026 World Cup, where Canada is set to co-host the tournament with the United States and Mexico.
Canada recently lost its appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a six-point penalty imposed by FIFA for spying on New Zealand practices. Despite winning their first two games, Canada was still on zero points due to the penalty. The damage to Canada’s reputation for soccer integrity was significant, and further investigations may follow.
The FIFA judge’s document revealed that spying was a common practice for the Canadian women’s team, with head coach Bev Priestman referencing similar tactics being used by the men’s senior national team. Priestman, along with an assistant coach and a performance analyst, received one-year bans from global soccer and a hefty fine for their involvement in the scandal.
The FIFA document also hinted at a connection between Priestman and John Herdman, the coach of Major League Soccer club Toronto. Herdman, who coached the Canada women’s team before leading the men’s team to the 2022 World Cup, denied any involvement in such activities during his coaching career.
Priestman, who apologized to the Canadian players for the scandal, stepped aside before the New Zealand game and was later suspended and sent home by Canadian officials. The team analyst, Joseph Lombardi, was detained by French police for flying a drone over an Olympic competition site, which led to a suspended sentence.
Despite the scandal, Canada managed to secure wins against New Zealand and France in the Olympic tournament. However, the integrity of these matches was called into question, with New Zealand requesting to be awarded the three points for their game against Canada.
The FIFA judge emphasized the importance of ethical conduct in sports and called for a thorough investigation into the Canadian team’s actions. As the reigning champion, Canadian officials and coaches are expected to set the right tone for the team and uphold the values of fair play.
The fallout from the drone-spying scandal has put Canada’s soccer integrity under scrutiny and may have lasting implications for the team’s participation in future tournaments. It remains to be seen how the Canadian soccer federation will address these issues and rebuild trust within the soccer community.