Legal proceedings have been launched after the suit was filed at the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal today.

The 40-plus list of players are claiming they are the victims of gender discrimination because organisers of next year's tournament are going ahead with plans to use artificial turf at all six venues being used in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton.

They claim that men would never be forced to play a World Cup on an artificial surface and are calling for the installation of grass pitches.

Players from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain and the United States are involved in the action.

These include past and present FIFA World Players of the Year, including German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, Brazil's five-time World Player of the Year Marta and American Abby Wambach.

Also named in the lawsuit are US internationals Alex Morgan and Heather O'Reilly, Spain captain Veronica Boquete and France's Camille Abily.

"Our focus right now is on the lawsuit," said Angerer, who denied that players are threatening to boycott the Women's World Cup, which takes place from June 5 to July 6 next year.

"None of us talked about anything beyond that.

"I think FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association should give us the best opportunity to play our game and show our best performance and give us the best opportunity.

"But we've never talked about boycotting the World Cup."

Current FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Nadine Angerer of Germany has denied players are threatening a boycott of next year's tournament in Canada ©Getty Images



Hampton Dellinger, the attorney representing the players, submitted a letter to FIFA and the CSA on behalf of the coalition of players on September 23, calling on organisers to open discussions by Friday (September 26) about the playing surfaces to be used.

That deadline has passed, resulting in today's lawsuit being filed in Ontario.

"Men's World Cup tournament matches are played on natural grass while CSA and FIFA are relegating female players to artificial turf," Dellinger told the BBC after filing the suit.

"The difference matters - plastic pitches alter how the game is played, pose unique safety risks and are considered inferior for international competition.

"The gifted athletes we represent are determined not to have the sport they love belittled on their watch.

"Getting an equal playing field at the World Cup is a fight female players should not have to wage but one from which they do not shrink.

"In the end, we trust that fairness and equality will prevail over sexism and stubbornness."

FIFA's deputy director of competitions division and head of women's competitions, Tatjana Haenni, has insisted there are "no plans" to switch the FIFA Women's World Cup to natural grass.

Haenni is currently in Canada as part of a FIFA delegation conducting an inspection tour.

The Women's World Cup has always been played on natural grass, however, recent FIFA Youth World Cups, including the 2014 Under-20 Women's World Cup in Canada last month, have been staged on artificial surfaces.

A copy of the lawsuit can be found here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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