BARCELONA – Spaniards celebrated their country’s first Women’s World Cup victory on Sunday afternoon by holding dance parties in the streets and sharing their giddy delight. But it was a kiss seen around the world that was the talk of social media.

Amid the national jubilation, many were jolted by an impromptu kiss planted on Spanish forward Jennifer Hermoso by the president of Spain’s football federation, Luis Rubiales, during the medals ceremony.

It was an unpleasant reminder to many of the sexism scandals that have plagued Spanish women’s football.

After Spain defeated England 1-0 and lined up onstage in Sydney to collect their medals before lifting the World Cup trophy, Rubiales enthusiastically grabbed Hermoso, kissed her on the cheeks and then kissed her fully on the lips, videos of the encounter showed.

Spain’s Queen Letizia was onstage at the time.

Later, in another video, Hermoso is seen apparently making her distaste known, responding: “What am I supposed to do? Hey, but I didn’t like that!”

However, in comments given to AFP by the Spanish federation, Hermoso said: “It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings.

“The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”

The video of what many concluded had been an unwanted smooch was widely shared on social media, causing confusion among many Spaniards and prompting others to denounce it as highly inappropriate behaviour.

Some called it disgraceful and evidence of lingering sexism in football. Others demanded that Rubiales resign.

Rubiales told Radio Marca: “The kiss with Jenni? Idiots are everywhere…

“When two people have a show of affection without any significance, you don’t have to pay attention to idiocy. We are champions and I’ll focus on that.”

The kissing episode revived memories of the mistreatment of Spain’s female footballers.

For 27 years, the women’s national team had the same coach, who was infamous for dismissing the players as “chavalitas”, or immature girls. He was dismissed in 2015 after players protested.

Current members of the women’s national team have also complained that they have been disrespected by top male football executives and denied the kind of elite equipment and treatment given to the men’s teams.

The women have said that the facilities the federation provided for them are sub-par and that Jorge Vilda, their coach, fostered an oppressive workplace environment, one in which the players’ every move was monitored by his staff.

Last fall, many players revolted against the coach and federation, accusing them of mistreatment and withdrawing from consideration for the national team. Hermoso was seen as having tacitly supported the rebellion.

Even when a truce was found, and three of the 15 mutineers restored to the team’s ranks, it was an uneasy one. The peace was born of convenience, rather than resolution. The squad were still cleaved by rifts and cliques. 

The controversies did not stop Spain from winning the World Cup. But the sudden kiss added another dimension to the women’s victory.

In a live video posted on Instagram and shared on other social media platforms, Hermoso is seen celebrating with her teammates in the locker room and smiling even as she says the kiss was unwanted.

Adding to the confusion, Rubiales is heard in another video telling the players that they would be rewarded with a trip to Ibiza and adding that it would be an opportunity to celebrate his “wedding” to Hermoso – an apparent reference to the kiss.

There is no indication that Rubiales and Hermoso are in a relationship.

Nadia Tronchoni, an editor at El Pais, Spain’s biggest newspaper, noted in an opinion piece that Sunday’s victory was “more than a title” for Spanish women.

“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 recognised. “Rubiales’ kiss to Hermoso reminds us that the road ahead is a long one.”

Spain’s acting Equality Minister Irene Montero also criticised Rubiales. “Let’s not assume that giving a kiss without consent is something that ‘happens,’ she wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It is a form of sexual violence that women suffer on a daily basis and until now invisible, and that we cannot normalise.

“It is the task of the whole society. Consent in the centre. Only yes is yes.” NYTIMES, AFP, BLOOMBERG