It's a familiar storyline for a women's football team.

The feud over funding and inequalities in pay between the women's and men's teams.

Yet the team in question is Canada - reigning Olympic champions and dark horses at this month's Women's World Cup.

The women are seeking for equal salaries to the men's team and have been mired in contract talks with Canada Soccer for over a year.

To add salt to Canada's wound, they were not given any send-off matches ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The animosity between the two sides was on display earlier this year when the players threatened to boycott the SheBelieves Cup in the United States.

Canada Soccer threatened legal action and the players acquiesced but wore purple T-shirts during pregame ceremonies that read "Enough is Enough.''

But will Canada's off-field troubles fuel or foil their trajectory at the World Cup?

Head coach Bev Priestman will finally have a chance to look at her squad after Canada kicked off their training camp in Australia's Gold Coast on June 28.

They will then play a behind-closed-doors exhibition against England in Australia on Jul 14, a week before the World Cup.

Drawn in the so-called Group of Death, Canada open against Nigeria on July 21 in Melbourne. They will meet Ireland and round off Group B with a clash against co-hosts Australia.

Canada are No. 7 in the world - the highest-ranked team in the group and will make their eighth World Cup appearance.

All eyes will be on the steadying presence of captain Christine Sinclair. She is international soccer's all-time leading scorer — among men or women. She has 190 career goals and is arguably the best Canadian player ever.

Now 40, Sinclair has won a pair of Olympic bronze medals and the gold in Tokyo. She has two NCAA tournament titles and three National Women's Soccer League championships with the Portland Thorns. But a World Cup trophy has eluded her.

Canada will be without one of the team's key players, forward Janine Beckie, who tore her ACL while playing in a preseason match for the Thorns earlier this year. But they have a solid defense, anchored by Kailen Sheridan in goal and defenders Kadeisha Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles. Priestman has choices up front, with Jordyn Huitema, Adriana Leon and Evelyne Viens all vying for a starting place.

Canada's best finish at the World Cup was fourth in 2003. At the 2019 tournament, Canada was eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden.