It was back in 2017 when Real Madrid president Florentino Perez suggested the idea of starting a women’s football team.

Atletico Madrid and Barcelona both have popular women’s teams in the Liga Iberdrola, with a clash between the two sides at the Wanda Metropolitano in March being watched by a record 60,739 fans.

And a Real Madrid women’s team has been on Perez’s mind since 2017.

“First of all, we want to make a women's football department, for training," Perez said, per Marca.

“We aren't going to bring a team with players from other countries, but women's football deserves a department, even if it is amateur."

Two years on and we’re now a step closer to the launch of Real Madrid’s women’s team.

According to reports in Spain, Madrid will have a team in the Liga Iberdrola next season.

Real Madrid are starting a women's team

They have reached an agreement with CD Tacon, who were promoted to the top flight this season, to buy their place in the division, Marca claim.

Madrid will pay less than half a million euros to complete the purchase.

The women’s game is increasing in popularity, with the World Cup in France attracting interest on a global scale.

FIFA expect the competition to reach a total of 1 billion viewers across all platforms worldwide.

And a record was set for the largest audience of a women’s football match in France when 10.655 million watched France’s group game against South Korea.

A total of 1,094,639 tickets were allocated for the tournament by June 20.

The launch of a Real Madrid women’s team is huge for the game.

France Football named Madrid the biggest football club in the world in February.

They can also boast about being the richest club in the world, with revenues of £674.6 million for the 2017-18 season.

So, while they are late to the party - Barcelona’s Femeni team was founded in 1988 - a Real Madrid women’s team signals the growth of women’s football.