Spain Moves to Fund Egg Freezing for Female Footballers in Major Push to Support Athletes and Future Motherhood
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has announced a new programme to support female footballers and referees with their fertility, allowing them to pursue their careers while also considering their future plans for motherhood.
As part of the agreement with the Tambre clinic, eligible athletes will be able to receive fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilisation and egg freezing. The federation said the project aims to provide more choice for women in top football to have children.
The RFEF will pay for the entire egg-freezing procedure for international players who have been selected for the national team twice. The agreement will last until 2029 and will include extra benefits based on the treatment received.
Spain internationals Olga Carmona and Patri Guijarro were pleased with the programme, saying it was another alternative for women who want to play professional football and be mothers.
The programme was not designed to make players postpone childbirth, RFEF director of women’s football Reyes Bellver Alonso said. Rather, it would offer another option for athletes who may feel compelled to delay childbirth due to their athletic careers, she said.
The federation also pointed to current initiatives to support footballers who become mothers, such as having children with them during training camps, tournaments and away trips.
But some labour and equality groups have attacked the scheme, saying that the support should be in addition to improved workplace protections for pregnant athletes and mothers.
The programme has sparked a broader discussion on the role of sporting organisations in supporting women athletes, motherhood and family life without having to choose between sport and motherhood.
