Common Goal: 15 Canadian players join Juan Mata's initiative ahead of Women's World Cup
The move, which will see them and a coach donate 1% of their salaries, sees them become the first international XI in the history of the movement set up by the Manchester United star 20 months ago
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fifteen Canadian footballers have become the latest to join Juan Mata's Common Goal initiative ahead of this summer's Women's World Cup.
The move, which will see them and a coach donate 1% of their salaries, sees them become the first international XI in the history of the movement set up by the Manchester United star 20 months ago.
Captain and Canadian football legend Christine Sinclair, Champions League winner Kadeisha Buchanan and Jordyn Huitema, the youngest player to have signed up so far, are all part of the group.
“When I heard about Common Football I just thought ‘Of course. Why wouldn’t I want to be a part of this?’," goalkeeper Erin McLeod explains. "Now I am extremely proud that 154 of the girls on the team have signed up and at the World Cup this summer, Canada will have the first Common Goal XI. I won’t be there because I’m injured - it crushes my heart - but I’m so proud of the players who will be there. This is what our Canadian legacy is all about.”
Despite the obvious pay disparity in global football, women make up almost half of the members of Common Goal with the hope of further unleashing the power of football as a force for good.
“Some weeks ago we reached an agreement with the Canadian Soccer Association, giving us the best contracts we’ve ever had," McLeod added. "One of the first things these Canadian players do is commit a percentage of their salaries to Common Goal. This is the character of the Canadian National Team - they are role models in every sense of the word.”
USA World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe was one of the first women to join Common Goal back in 2017 and is delighted to see the movement continue to go from strength to strength.
“Hearing the news about the first Common Goal international XI is so inspiring," she added. "The fact that this is a team of women is a really powerful statement about the role women are playing in Common Goal, and in the development of the global football industry generally. Congratulations to this amazing group of Canadians and welcome to the Common Goal team. Looking forward to seeing you all at the World Cup this summer.”
Common Goal now has nearly 100 players signed up and has raised over £1million for football charities all over the world.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments