The lowest player pay in the Canadian Premier League is being raised for the upcoming season. The basic player pay will increase by $8000 to $30,000 from the 2022 edition.
“According to Canadian Press, CPL declared that the minimum wage for footballers in the 2023 tournament will be $30,000, an increase from the $22,000 average in the 2022 edition. A different pay budget for the technical staff and players was also announced by the organization.”
The Canadian Premier League today announces an increase to the league’s minimum player salary and total player compensation budgets ahead of the 2023 season.
More information 📰: https://t.co/f1OzguCG7J#CanPL
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) November 8, 2022
Clubs this year were subject to a $1.2 million per team “salary cap.” This sum included the cost of housing, residential rewards, and training and technical staff compensation.
For the season, the technical cap payment had to range around $350,000 to $550,000, while the player’s salary had to be approximately $650,000 to $850,000.
The overall budget for player salaries for the upcoming season must be in the range of $750,000 and $1.125 million. Teams may employ the league’s reward scheme for under-21 players to the fullest extent possible.
With only 50% of an under-21 player’s wage contributing toward the salary budget ceiling, the first $200,000 of their pay is exempt from the salary cap. Clubs can reach the $1.125 million cap because of the $100,000 in compensation.
As of 2022, the organization claims that residence, salary, and incentives are included in the 2023 player budget. If $200,000 was spent on U-21 players and only $350,000 was invested in the technical cap, the player limit for this year was $950,000.
A minimum of 20 athletes and a highest of 23, including three youngsters under the age of 21, must be on a club squad. The CPL is delaying the technical staff budget’s lowest and highest levels for 2023.
Canadian Premier League Salaries Cap Increased
The players’ union, PFA Canada, expressed support for the decision to raise the CPL salary cap.
Professional Footballers Association of Canada stated in a press that it saw the team’s decision to raise the salary ceiling and minimum wage as a step in the right direction towards furthering the professionalization of players’ CPL experiences.
“But, we remain conscious that to maximize the mutual advantage, visibility, and discipline, such agreements require players’ approval through collective bargaining.”
According to the Associated, the players established PFA Canada almost exactly three decades ago “to renegotiate salaries and conditions, resolve issues, and play a valuable role in the growth of the league while raising the condition of pro footballers so young players recognize the effectiveness of a career in the CPL,”.
The COVID-19 pandemic, it continued, “sadly, interfered with PFA Canada’s attempts to establish a collective bargaining agreement with CPL by voluntary recognition or legitimate recourse for the last two seasons.” “We anticipate doing so in the not-too-distant future.”
Opportunities for Young Canadian Players
According to the official, the board of governors voted to approve the proposed wage changes after receiving a recommendation from the league administration.
Regarding improvements to our players’ overall remuneration, Canadian Premier League commissioner Mark Noonan stated in a release, “Building upon our excellent 2022 season, we are thrilled to take another critical step toward the growth of the Canadian Premier League.”
These significant improvements “continue to underline our aim of providing chances for young Canadian players to demonstrate their abilities on home soil and building a league that those who love the wonderful game here in Canada can proudly support,” the executive continued.
For comparison, Major League Soccer franchises worked under a $4.9 million US wage structure this season, even though the league offers many ways for teams to maximize that budget. No matter how much a selected player earns, his salary will only count toward the cap as $612,500 US.
By 2023, it is anticipated that the MLS senior minimum pay will reach $100,000 US for the first time in the league’s history.
