Luis Rubiales Posts Apology Video And Says He Was "Wrong" To Kiss Jennifer Hermoso After Women's World Cup Final

Luis Rubiales has posted an apology video after being heavily criticized for kissing Spain player Jennifer Hermoso following the FIFA Women's World Cup final.

Rubiales, who is the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, held Hermoso's head with both of his hands before kissing her on the lips shortly after Spain beat England 1-0 on Sunday.

Later on Sunday, Rubiales - who had also been spotted grabbing his crotch while celebrating in the stands - suggested those who were offended by his actions were "idiots and stupid people".

However, on Monday morning, Rubiales said in a video uploaded to social media: "There is something that I regret and it is everything that has happened between me and a player, with whom I have a magnificent relationship – just as I do with the other players.

"This is an incident in which I have surely been wrong, I have to admit it because at a moment of maximum emotion and without any bad intention, and without any bad faith, what happened did so in a really spontaneous manner."

Luis Rubiales, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, pictured hugging Jennifer Hermoso before he kissed her on the lips following Spain's victory over England in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final

IMAGO/Sports Press Photo/Noe Llamas

Rubiales added: "Here (in the stadium) it was something natural, normal – so we did not understand the commotion. There was no bad faith.

"Elsewhere, it seems that an uproar has occurred. Of course, if there are people who have felt damaged by this I have to apologize.

"There is no other choice other than learning from this and understanding that when you are president of an institution as important as the Spanish Federation you have to be more careful in procedure and these type of issues."

Reflecting on his previous comments about the incident, he said: "There are also some statements on my part where, within this context (of the excitement of the match and stadium), when I say that something feels idiotic to me, that is why, because in here (the stadium) not one person gave it the slightest bit of importance, but outside they did."

Rubiales has apologized for his actions after initially calling those who criticized him "idiots and stupid people"

IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Memmler