The Women’s World Cup kiss shows shameless misogyny is still alive

The cultural debate

It’s well known that the custom of kissing one another’s cheeks as a friendly greeting is woven into the fabric of European culture.

Many have brought this forward as an excuse for Rubiales’ behaviour. However, this wasn’t a kiss on the cheek in celebration – it was a blatant kiss on the mouth. Even Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has labelled it as an outright abuse of power and an ‘unacceptable gesture’.

Speaking publicly about the controversy, Rubiales has excused his own behaviour on account of it being ‘spontaneous, mutual, and euphoric.’ He has also continued to deny that it had taken place without consent.

Quite the contrary are Hermoso’s thoughts on the kiss she didn’t ask for. Hermoso has stated that she ‘didn’t like’ what Rubiales had done and felt she had become a ‘victim of aggression, a sexist act.’ Rubiales responded by saying that he would not resign to ‘false feminism.’

Calls to remove Rubiales from his position as president of the Spanish Football Federation have been ongoing. The sport’s international governing body FIFA has now moved to suspend him for 90 days as it investigates the incident.

For the most part, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has stood in solidarity with its President. The organisation has been helping to downplay what happened, threatening to sue Hermoso, and framing the backlash against Rubiales as a ‘witch hunt.’

Only in recent days have the Spanish organisation’s regional leaders voiced support for Rubiales’ resignation.

Anyone debating whether Rubiales’ actions were‘harmless’ only need to refer to Hermosa’s public statements afterwards, which clearly indicate that she did not enjoy nor welcome such an interaction to take place.

Not to mention that it occurred on the world stage as she celebrated one of the best moments of her professional career.

Addressing the wider issue

The Women’s World Cup kiss has sparked a much-needed conversation about sexual misconduct and abuse of power in the world of sport.

Both women’s football players and men’s team players in Spain have shown support of Hermoso since the incident. All of the players from the Spanish women’s team have said they will refuse to play for their country until Rubiales resigns.

It has also caused previous controversies to resurface. For example, fifteen players had refused the opportunity to play for the Spanish national team last year over concerns about the culture that head coach Jorge Vilda had fostered there.

Vilda was criticised for his management style, was known to ‘overwork’ players even if they were injured, and was publicly scrutinised after video footage showed him touching a colleague’s breast during a World Cup match.

Just a few years prior, the team’s previous manager Ignacio Quereda had been let go on account of complaints of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, abuse, and sexual coercion from every single member of the women’s team.

Bear in mind that these incidents are only known because they have been reported or caught on camera. Yet they have managed to leave a considerable paper trail of abuse and misconduct within the world of women’s football in Spain.

That said, the highly publicised debate around Rubiales’ conduct is important, as it’s more than likely that his behaviour is not unique to the Spanish national team.