Spain will fund the freezing of national team players' eggs

London City Lionesses forward and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas also backed the project: "It is enormous progress because the Federation understand that you are serving your country by going against your biological clock, that you cannot stop and you cannot become a mother because you need your body in order to work".

Motherhood in professional sport has become a far bigger issue in recent years. For female athletes, the option of preserving fertility can offer a way to delay a personal decision without having to interrupt their career or bring it forward. The possible agreement by the RFEF would fit into that process. According to El Paisthere is, however, no common protocol on egg freezing or assisted reproduction techniques. For now, the main international point of reference is the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which reviews the drugs used and can grant therapeutic use exemptions. Some substances used during ovarian stimulation are in fact prohibited and require prior authorisation, while others can be used without authorisation.

The Spanish Federation are not the first to go down this route. In 2021, Racing Louisville in the United States became the first club to strike a deal with a clinic for this type of treatment. This year, UEFA also recommended that clubs include fertility and reproductive treatment in their employment policies. Chelsea have announced an agreement with a private clinic too, along with the creation of a fund to cover the cost of freezing eggs.