A kiss after Spain’s Women’s World Cup win sparks outrage

 

Luis Rubiales has ignited a wave of social media backlash after the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation was caught on camera sharing a kiss on the lips with forward Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s historic 1–0 triumph over England in the World Cup final on Sunday evening.

The incident showed Rubiales lifting Spain’s all-time top scorer off her feet after she received a medal from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Following a brief interaction, he seemed to plant a kiss on the player during the official post-match ceremony held in Sydney.

Footage from the celebratory events also captured the Spanish football president embracing and kissing other players on the cheeks. While Hermoso indicated during a live stream that she “didn’t enjoy that,” she later provided clarifications on her stance in subsequent comments given to the media.

In remarks conveyed to AFP by the Spanish federation, Hermoso characterized the incident as a “completely spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy that comes with winning a World Cup.” She also mentioned that Rubiales’ “behavior with all of us has been exceptional.”