Content Warning: Mentions of sexual assault
Spanish Soccer President Luis Rubiales resigned on Sunday, Sept. 10 after outrage following a nonconsensual kiss with Women’s World Cup winner Jennifer Hermoso. The kiss occurred following Spain’s win at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The video of the kiss has since gone viral with millions of views across the internet. It is unfortunate that this is the headline to come out of the World Cup, rather than the world celebrating these great athletes’ accomplishments. Rubiales resigned from his position as president of the Spanish Football Federation as well as the vice president of the Union of European Football Associations.
The Spanish national team was quick to stand behind their teammate as all members of the team agreed they would not play for the team again until Rubiales was released from his position. The kiss occurred back on Aug. 20 at the conclusion of the world cup tournament, yet it took three weeks for Rubiales to step down.
Rubiales faced pressure from many sides to step down. Spanish prosecutors had already opened a sexual assault investigation. The Spanish Soccer Federation had called for his immediate resignation, and FIFA, the governing body of soccer, had suspended him for 90 days.
Mr. Rubiales’ resignation comes after he had taken a hard stance on the issue, standing strongly behind the fact that the kiss was consensual and repeatedly shouting “I won’t resign” five times at a press conference. In his resignation statement that was posted on X, formerly Twitter, he stated, “After the rapid suspension carried out by FIFA, plus the rest of proceedings open against me, it is evident that I will not be able to return to my position. My daughters, my family and the people who love me have suffered the effects of persecution excessively, as well as many falsehoods, but it is also true that in the street, the truth is prevailing more every day.”
Mr. Rubiales has fought against the accusations against him, citing “false feminism” and calling the incident a “social assassination.” His mother even entered a hunger strike in opposition to the “witch hunt” against her son.
Yet it is clear that Hermoso has not only the global soccer community on her side, with the Spanish men’s national team speaking out in solidarity, but also support from the Spanish government. While this story has taken up space in our heads and headlines since the World Cup ended, there is now a resolution in Rubiales’ final – albeit combative – resignation.
