RFEF President Luis Rubiales Criticized For Kissing Spain Star Jennifer Hermoso After Women's World Cup Final

Luis Rubiales, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, was criticized for kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the lips after the Women's World Cup final.

The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation has been heavily criticized after he kissed Jennifer Hermoso on the lips following the Women's World Cup final.

Luis Rubiales was part of the presentation party at Sydney's Stadium Australia where Spain beat England 1-0 in the final on Sunday.

Hermoso - who has scored 51 goals in 101 games for Spain - shared a hug with Rubiales moments before collecting her gold medal.

Rubiales, 45, then kissed Hermoso, 33, on the cheek before grabbing her head with both of his hands and kissing her mouth.

🔴 Rubiales, president de @rfef al costat de la infanta Sofia fa un petó a una jugadora durant la celebració del mundial de la selecció femenina d'Espanya. Si en comptes d'una jugadora fos un jugador de futbol o fos una personalitat política no passaria. Ho estan censurant. pic.twitter.com/h9RCnO6tYm

— David Melero 📸 📽 ✏ 🔴 (@davidmelero__) August 20, 2023

Footage of the moment quickly went viral on social media and Hermoso was asked about it while broadcasting on Instagram Live.

"I didn't like it," she said. But a statement released later on her behalf defended Rubiales.

The statement, published by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Sunday, said that the moment was a "natural gesture of affection".

Hermoso added: "It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings."

However, Irene Montero, Spain's government minister for equality, said: "It's a form of sexual violence women suffer on a daily basis."

Montero added: "We should not assume kissing without consent is something 'that happens'."

RFEF president Luis Rubiales 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 also received widespread public criticism on Twitter, where "'dimision ya" - "resign now" in English - trended in Spain.

But a defiant Rubiales told Spanish broadcaster COPE on Sunday that anyone who saw the incident as anything other than "a kiss between two friends celebrating something" were "idiots and stupid people".

"Let's ignore them and enjoy the good things," he added.

However, Rubiales had changed his tune by Monday when he posted an apology video via social media.

Rubiales said: "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."