The president of the Spanish football federation issued an apology following an incident where he unexpectedly kissed player Jenni Hermoso during celebrations of their Women’s World Cup victory. The incident occurred while Luis Rubiales handed the team gold medals after their final match against England. Rubiales stated, “Surely I was wrong, I have to admit… It was without bad faith at a time of maximum effusiveness.”
Hermoso expressed her discomfort with the kiss to teammates, sharing in a video posted on social media by El Mundo newspaper and others. However, she later downplayed the incident, mentioning in a statement sent by the federation that it was a “mutual gesture… prompted by the huge joy of winning a World Cup.”
Post-game footage shows Rubiales kissing other players on the cheek and embracing them while awarding medals. The incident sparked gender-related discussions in Spain. Government ministers and media commentators criticized the gesture, with Culture and Sports Minister Miquel Iceta calling it “unacceptable” and urging an apology from Rubiales. Acting Gender Equality Minister Irene Montero referred to non-consensual kisses as a form of “sex violence all women suffer daily.”
An opinion column in El Pais newspaper criticized the incident, describing it as “an intrusion, an invasion of privacy, an aggression.” Rubiales initially dismissed the outrage but later issued a more formal apology, acknowledging those who criticized him.
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