The Spanish Federation seeks a historic agreement on fertility

BarcelonaNew step forward in women's football. The Spanish Federation (RFEF) is close to reaching an agreement with a fertility clinic to facilitate egg freezing for the Spanish national team players, as reported by El País. Motherhood is one of the major points of focus in women's sports, as when a player becomes pregnant, she stops her physical activity for a few months. "Many players delay the decision to become mothers and, when they make it, it may already be too late. We try to ensure they are not conditioned by their careers," assures Marta Perarnau, president of the players' association FUTPRO, to the cited media.

"Returning to compete after being a mother is very difficult; we don't have scientific studies on female footballers, we don't have recovery protocols, we don't know what they need to do to recover and perform at their best," she adds. In the latest collective agreement for the Lliga F —published in the BOE on April 25, 2025— a series of requirements were agreed upon that clubs had to comply with. In the event that a female player becomes pregnant during her final contract season, she will have the option to renew for one more year under the same conditions, according to article 42 of the text.

Furthermore, entities that are part of the Women's First Division are obliged to provide a lactation room in their facilities — for both training and matches — and to provide a childcare service during training sessions and matches for children under three years of age who are the offspring of a team player. On the other hand, Liga F commits to providing "specialized and qualified" personnel to players who request it during pregnancy or postpartum.

In Alexia Putellas' interview with El País, the former Barça player confessed that the captains of the Spanish national team had conveyed to the RFEF the debate on how to combine motherhood with a professional career. "For me, it is a very big step forward [the agreement to freeze eggs] because the Federation understands that you are serving your country against your biological clock, that you cannot stop and cannot be a mother because you need your body to work," explains the player from Mollet del Vallès.

Precisely, this Monday the Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) has reached an agreement with the Ruber Internacional clinic so that players can access the center's assisted reproduction unit during the next year. This collaboration will facilitate affiliated members of the association to undergo fertility treatments, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, or to carry out preimplantation genetic testing and non-invasive prenatal testing. “Reproductive health is part of the integral well-being of male and female athletes, and more and more are seeking specialized advice to plan their family project or preserve fertility,” pointed out Geni Martínez, head of health at AFE.

A legal problem and a precedent

However, not everything is rosy. Currently, neither FIFA nor UEFA regulate fertility and egg preservation treatment. Medical information is of a private nature and no player is obliged to inform the club or other institutions about the start of these treatments. This issue is important, as drugs prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, such as letrozole, can be used for egg freezing, which would require prior authorization.

The RFEF agreement would not be the first in women's football. A few weeks ago, Chelsea announced one with a London fertility clinic, Fertility Plus, with which they provided personalized attention, assessment, treatment, and advice to their players. "Through this pioneering collaboration, we will open up the debate on fertility and help raise awareness among our fans," said Giulia Mazzia, commercial director of the London club.