Flashback: When Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso kiss controversy overshadowed Spain's FIFA World Cup glory
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Flashback: When Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso kiss controversy overshadowed Spain's FIFA World Cup glory")
Flashback: When Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso kiss controversy overshadowed Spain-England World Cup final clash Photograph: (X)
With the stage set in Basel for the epic final, both teams will look to make headlines for on-field display rather than the off-field controversy which overshadowed Spain’s World Cup win in 2023.
England and Spain are to lock horns in the final of the Women’s Euro 2025 in what will be a repeat of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final on Sunday (July 27). With the stage set in Basel for the epic final, both teams will look to make headlines for on-field display rather than the off-field controversy which overshadowed Spain’s World Cup win in 2023. It was the famous Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso kiss controversy that took the spotlight in Australia, leading to a saga that lasted for months.
What was the Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso kiss controversy?
In August 2023, Spain beat England 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup as they clinched their maiden title. After the win, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, Luis Rubiales, was seen at the presentation ceremony as part of the presentation committee. It was during that time that Rubiales kissed World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips, thus making headlines.
She later accused Rubiales of forcefully kissing her during the presentation ceremony when Spain beat England in the final. Hermoso criticised the actions of the former Spanish chief, terming them as "vulnerable and like the victim of an assault.”
In a ruling following a preliminary investigation, Spanish judge Francisco de Jorge of Spain's Audiencia Nacional top criminal court concluded that the kiss "was not consensual and was a unilateral and unexpected move" by Rubiales, and was later tried for sexual assault and coercion.
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The kiss provoked widespread outrage and prompted his suspension by the world football governing body FIFA. Under Spanish law, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault -- a criminal category that groups all types of sexual violence.
Now that the dust is settled, the attention is back on the field as England take on Spain to defend their crown in Basel. The match will start at 9:30 PM IST at the St. Jakob-Park with both teams bidding for continental glory.
