But the viral sensation was a kiss that went viral following the win. During the medals ceremony, the president of Spain’s soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, planted a kiss on the Spanish forward Jennifer Hermoso, which to many, is an unpleasant reminder of the numerous sexism scandals that have plagued Spanish women’s soccer.
After the 1-0 victory over England, the Spanish team gathered onstage in Sydney, Australia to collect their medals before lifting the World Cup trophy. As they did so, the video captured the moment when Mr Rubiales grabbed Ms Hermoso, kissed her on the cheeks, and then kissed her passionately on the lips.
Ms Hermoso is heard in another video apparently expressing her feelings about it, saying, “Hey, but I didn’t like that!”
Many Spaniards were left scratching their heads after seeing the viral video of what they assumed to be an unwanted smooch, while others condemned the actions as exceedingly improper. It was deemed by some to be shameful and proof of pervasive misogyny in the sport of soccer. Some people have called for Mr Rubiales’s resignation.
He had not addressed the criticism as of Sunday night. Since it was already late in Spain, the Spanish soccer organization did not reply to Mr Rubiales’ email seeking comment.
The kissing incident brought up old wounds regarding the treatment of female soccer players in Spain. For 27 years, the same coach who often called the ladies on the national team “chavalitas,” or immature girls, led the squad. In 2015, after player protests, he was let go.
There have been complaints from current members of the women’s national team that they have been treated poorly by senior male soccer executives and have been denied access to the same high-quality resources that the men’s teams have. The women have complained about the poor training facilities offered by the federation and the stifling atmosphere created by coach Jorge Vilda and his assistants, who they say watched their every move.
In the previous fall, many players rebelled against the coach and federation, making allegations of mistreatment against them and withdrawing from national team selection. Ms Hermosa was thought to have discreetly backed the protests.
Ms Hermoso can be seen smiling in the live video she posted on Instagram and shared across other social media platforms as she and her teammates celebrate in the locker room following the final as she expresses concern over the unwanted kiss.
Adding to the mystery, Mr Rubiales is heard on another video boasting to the players that they will be taking a trip to Ibiza as a reward for their triumph and that they will be able to attend the “wedding” of him and Ms Hermoso, an apparent reference to their kiss.
Mr Rubiales and Ms Hermoso do not appear to be dating.
In an editorial for El Pas, Spain’s most widely read daily, Nadia Tronchoni said that the triumph on Sunday meant “more than a title” for women in Spain.
“The women, the girls of this country celebrated the fact that our stubbornness has finally defeated machismo,” she said, referring to female players’ long struggle to be recognized. “Rubiales’s kiss to Hermoso reminds us that the road ahead is a long one.”
New Update:
Jennifer Hermoso has issued a fresh statement calling the kiss between Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish football organization, and herself during the FIFA Women’s World Cup medal presentation a “mutual gesture.”
Explaining that there’s no need to dissect a friendly gesture, Hermoso said, “It was a completely spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup.”
“The president [Rubiales] and I have a great relationship.
“There is no need to over analyse a gesture of friendship and gratitude.”
Her statement follows Rubiales’ apology after the public outrage. “I have to apologize,” the official, Luis Rubiales, said in a video broadcast by the federation on Monday afternoon. “Probably I made a mistake.”
Mr Rubiales initially responded flippantly to the scandal, dismissing his critics as “losers” in an interview with the Cadena Cope radio station at midnight before returning to Spain from Australia.
“We shouldn’t pay attention to idiots and stupid people,” he said then, claiming that the kiss had been just a “peck between two friends celebrating something.”
By the time his flight touched down in Spain on Monday morning, however, significant criticism of his actions had already been voiced.
The minister of culture and sport, Miquel Iceta, joined the chorus of critics by demanding an explanation from the soccer boss and saying it was inappropriate to celebrate players by kissing them on the lips.
Irene Montero, the minister of equality, posted accusations of sexual abuse against Mr Rubiales on X, the social networking platform formerly known as Twitter.
At that point, Mr Rubiales’ tone altered. “There was no bad intention by either party,” he said on Monday. “We saw it as natural,” he added, evidently referring to Ms Hermoso. “But it has caused a commotion and people are offended, so I must apologize.”
