Who is Luis Rubiales and why did he kiss Jenni Hermoso?

CNN
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A week after clinching Spain’s first Women’s World Cup, the country’s soccer federation is at war with the very players who brought home the trophy.

The scandal began just moments after La Roja’s historic 1-0 victory against England, when the head of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, kissed midfielder Jennifer Hermoso on the lips.

Rubiales, 46, said he made a mistake but that the kiss was consensual. Hermoso, 33, said she did not give her permission and felt violated.

Fast forward eight days and Spain’s World Cup winners are refusing to play. The country’s football federation is threatening legal action. And Rubiales is vowing to “fight to the end.”

The RFEF has called regional federations to convene for an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting on Monday to address the current situation after Rubiales was provisionally suspended by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, over the weekend.

Here’s what you need to know.

After sealing their victory on August 20, the Spanish squad lined up to receive their medals and congratulations from major political and football figures.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, was first in line. Next to him stood Spanish Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia. Rubiales stood to the younger royal’s left. He was followed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, among others.

The medal ceremony began, and one-by-one, the champions were honored by the delegation. Infantino handed each player their medals. The royals then embraced them. Rubiales greeted many of them with a big bear hug and a kiss on the cheek, even lifting some into the air.

The beginning of Rubiales and Hermoso’s encounter, however, was not caught on the live television feed. After showing one of the Spanish players kissing the Women’s World Cup Trophy, the broadcast cut to Rubiales hugging Hermoso. Rubiales’ arms are around Hermoso’s shoulders, with Hermoso’s around the top of Rubiales’ back. The pair briefly rock back and forth slightly, and Rubiales appears to say something in Hermoso’s ear.

Rubiales puts his hands on the back of Hermoso’s head. He kisses her on the lips, then slaps her twice on the back before she continues down the procession.

What Rubiales and Hermoso are saying

Hermoso said at no point did she consent to the kiss.

“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part,” she said on social media. “Simply put I was not respected.”

Rubiales admitted he made a mistake on Monday, the day after Spain’s win, but later defended his actions. In a…