Spain's football federation is set to join a few clubs in covering the costs for female players to freeze their eggs during their careers. While players have advocated for this option, there are concerns regarding welfare and the implications of such a policy.
Balancing motherhood and work poses challenges in many professions, particularly for footballers, whose peak athletic years coincide with their peak fertility. "For a woman whose sports career might last, say, 10 years at a high level, she starts thinking that getting pregnant really isn't an option," said former Real Sociedad player, Larraitz Lucas, in an interview with DW. "When you are competing at a high level, all you are focusing on is the present."
Historically, only about 2% of footballers became pregnant during their careers, with many leaving the sport to pursue motherhood. However, as professionalization increases, organizations are beginning to address how to support players who wish to have children.
Maternity regulations were first introduced in the sport in 2021 and were strengthened in 2024. For players who wish to delay pregnancy, the option of egg freezing has gained attention. Racing Louisville was the first club to offer to pay for such treatments in 2021, and Chelsea recently announced they would fund egg freezing for any player who desires it.
The Spanish football federation, RFEF, is expected to become the first national federation to announce a similar policy, following lobbying efforts from star player Alexia Putellas and others.
Lucas, who retired over a decade ago, noted that such options were not available during her playing career. She underwent egg retrieval for her partner to have an embryo implanted. "You keep competing as best you can but no matter how much you try to align it with a weekend break from matches it's tough. Really, before, during, and after the egg extraction, well... it wasn't ideal," Lucas explained.
The process of egg freezing typically takes around three weeks, during which women administer daily injections before their eggs are harvested and frozen under sedation. To use the eggs later, they must be thawed and fertilized.
Athlete gynecologist Lamia Zafrani emphasized that egg freezing is not a guaranteed solution. "Egg freezing is not an insurance policy that is guaranteed to pay out. It's always better if you freeze your eggs whilst you're young because you've got younger eggs to then use for future IVF. But actually there's no guarantee that when you defrost or thaw those eggs, turn them into embryos, that they'll actually be successful and result in a successful live birth. And I think it's these conversations that the athletes need to be made aware of because, at the end of the day, it's all about informed consent," Zafrani stated.
Zafrani also noted an increase in inquiries about the procedure from athletes in her London clinic. "It is definitely something that athletes are very much asking for," she said. However, she cautioned that while the federations are responding to players' needs, there are ethical considerations. "By offering egg freezing and fertility preservation, the underlying message may be that you're telling your players 'don't get pregnant whilst you're working for us.' And that can be problematic."
Alexandra Gómez Bruinewoud, legal director of global players' union FIFPRO, expressed similar concerns. She co-authored the maternity policies adopted by FIFA and emphasized the importance of educating players about their choices. "We don't want it [egg freezing] to be used as a tool to pressure players not to become pregnant while they are playing because they are and they should always be fully entitled to decide when and how to become pregnant," Bruinewoud told DW.
She also highlighted other fertility considerations, including doping concerns. "When players go through assistive reproduction in general and if they are going to freeze eggs, in some situations they have to take hormones. And these substances can be prohibited in the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) code. So we want to be sure to prevent a player being sanctioned when they are actually only trying to become pregnant or prepare things to be able to become pregnant in the future," Bruinewoud explained.
Bruinewoud noted that due to varying costs, recovery times, and procedures, implementing a universal rule would be challenging and should be guided by medical practitioners. She advocated for collective negotiation at the national level, stating, "These are very expensive procedures and most of the players worldwide will probably not have access to this because of the cost."
For all three women, the key factors are choice, education, and empowerment, allowing players to decide when to become pregnant. The hope is that, if managed effectively, egg freezing will provide an additional option rather than becoming the default path.