Keyly Peralta and SAFAP win landmark case for women's football in Peru

• Peruvian international Keyly Peralta turned to the players’ union after Defensores del Ilucán failed to pay her wages
• A joint claim lodged with the Peruvian Football Federation’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) was successful, enabling Peralta to recover the full amount owed to her
• The case marks a landmark moment for women’s football in Peru: “I was scared, but this way I can help lots of girls”

Women’s football in Peru is celebrating a landmark legal victory after international player Keyly Peralta recovered the full amount of wages owed to her by Defensores del Ilucán, thanks to legal support from the Peruvian Professional Footballers’ Association (SAFAP).

The ruling in Peralta’s favour by the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) is a historic step in recognising the employment rights of women footballers in the country. It has also had a wider impact, with other players now launching legal claims to recover unpaid wages.

“At first I was a bit scared to report it because I was the first girl to do so,” Peralta tells FIFPRO.org. “I thought it might get me into trouble because, when someone makes a complaint like that, clubs don’t take it well. But when I won the case, I was happy because I know it took a lot of effort.

“In the end, we took another small step towards helping one another as female athletes. Lots of girls started getting in touch with me. So I thought: ‘Well, if they’re starting to get in touch with me, it must mean I didn’t do anything wrong, but rather something good to help the other girls so they can get what they deserve’. That made me feel more relieved and at ease because I know I took a step that, despite my fear, turned out to be positive for me and for my team-mates.”

The legal victory also allowed Peralta to celebrate the fact she did not give up when she thought there was no hope of recovering the money.

“To be honest, I’d written that money off as lost because so much time had already passed. But I turned to SAFAP. I spoke to Aldo Atarama, the union’s lawyer, who explained everything that might happen, and I decided to take a chance.”

Developments in the case

On 1 February 2024, Peralta signed a sports agreement with Defensores del Ilucán, who compete in the FPF Women’s League, the top tier of women’s football in Peru. Although the club did not classify it as an employment contract, under the legal principle of the primacy of reality it was deemed to constitute a genuine employment relationship for a professional footballer.

The club failed to pay her wages for four months. In February 2025, the player and the club signed a repayment agreement, but Defensores del Ilucán paid only 12 percent of the outstanding debt.

On 23 September 2025, SAFAP filed a claim with the FPF’s DRC on the player’s behalf. The claim was accepted in January 2026 and, one month later, the DRC ruled that the club must pay the full amount of outstanding wages, together with interest and legal costs, within five working days. Failure to comply could have resulted in sanctions, including sporting sanctions.

Defensores del Ilucán ultimately made the full payment within the deadline.

Keeping documents

A key factor in the successful outcome was that Peralta had kept copies of the documents she signed with the club.

“When I spoke to SAFAP, they asked me to provide documents to support my claim. Without them, they couldn’t proceed. Once I had the documents in my possession, I was confident it could be resolved successfully.

“It’s important to always have an agreement signed by both parties so that you can be helped,” says Peralta, who is also a member of the Peruvian national futsal team.

Peralta also praised the support she received from SAFAP’s legal department throughout the process.

“I’m very pleased with the support and advice they’ve given me. These days, some female footballers make a living from football. It’s their job. Living for a whole year on that salary, only for the club to be unable to pay you in the end, and not knowing how you’re going to make up for all that lost time, is really difficult.

“What has just happened in my case is a huge boost for women’s football; it’s a step forward. I think clubs will now take contracts much more seriously, making them more professional and ensuring the principle of ‘a month’s pay for a month’s work’ is respected. We deserve to have our rights respected.”