'We had to fight a lot' - Spain and Barcelona star Alexia Putellas hoping new agreement will put an end to decades of 'systematic discrimination'

The 2023 World Cup winners have, following a long-running saga sparked by Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso after a global title was secured in Sydney, reached an agreement with their nation’s football federation that has seen a mass boycott brought to a close and sweeping change on and off the field promised.

Victor Francos, the secretary of state for sports in Spain, has vowed to deliver “immediate and profound changes”. Barcelona superstar Putellas – a two-time Ballon d’Or Feminin winner – has said of a potentially historic victory for the women’s game: “It could be a point where there's a before and after, I really think so.”

Putellas added on the deal that was struck on Wednesday morning following seven hours of meetings between players, officials and union leaders: “I believe that the agreements that we stayed up all night for, will make our sport and women's sport, and in consequence society, a lot better. We were detecting over many decades, too many, systematic discrimination against the women's team. We had to fight a lot to be listened to. This wears you down, in a way that we don't want to happen.”

Some 81 players had vowed not to represent the Spanish national team again for as long as Rubiales remained as president of the RFEF, leading to his eventual resignation. That boycott was upheld ahead of the UEFA Nations League getting underway, but 15 World Cup winners were included in the first squad named by new head coach Montse Tome and most are ready to figure in a meeting with Sweden on Friday.