For their first outing since the Rubiales affair and with the world champion star on their jersey, the Spanish football players dominated Sweden 3-2 on Friday at the end of a match that the two teams had started by displaying their solidarity in the fight against gender-based violence and for equality between men and women.

With a converted penalty at the end of added time, FC Barcelona winger Mariona Caldentey offered much more than three points to Spain, which is trying to get its head above water after weeks of controversy. La Roja takes the lead in its Nations League group, qualifying for the Paris-2024 Games, but the main thing was elsewhere.

Returning headlong to the selection because they feared being sanctioned if they refused, the world champions left the pitch in Gothenburg all smiles, jumping into each other’s arms, like last August 20, in Sydney, when Spain was installed on the roof of the world. Before plunging into crisis.

Nine of the 23 world champions who refused to return to the selection, demanding profound changes within the Spanish Football Federation, were finally starting at kick-off.

Led by double Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, back in the starting lineup, and by the best UEFA player of the year Aitana Bonmati, still as comfortable with the ball at her feet, the Spanish women largely dominated the match.

However, they got off to a bad start, conceding Eriksson’s opener with a cross header from a corner in the 23rd minute (1-0). But the La Roja players had the reaction of champions, gradually rediscovering the collective play that allowed them to win the World Cup in August.

They equalized in the 38th minute, taking advantage of a hand fault from Musovic on a long shot from Real Madrid winger Athenea Del Castillo (1-1).

In a one-sided second period, where Bonmati (55th) and Del Castillo (63rd) had the opportunities to kill the match, Spain ended up taking the advantage thanks to a superb curling shot from the left into the top corner of Atlético Madrid striker Eva Navarro (2-1, 78th).

With the match in hand, Putellas and her teammates, who had hardly been able to train before the match, conceded the equalizer in the 82nd minute (2-2).

But as in their fight for better consideration of women’s football, they refused to give up and obtained a penalty at the end of added time, transformed into force by Caldentey (95th).

Spain now has a meeting with Switzerland on Tuesday to confirm this rebound and try to end the crisis.