Spanish football boss apologises for kissing World Cup star

Spanish government and world players' union condemn Luis Rubiales's inappropriate conduct after he kissed a player on the lips during the Women's World Cup medal ceremony. Rubiales apologised in a video, acknowledging he “surely made a mistake” but in “a moment of maximum effusiveness.”

The leader of Spain's soccer federation marred the country's Women's World Cup victory after kissing a player on the lips during the medal ceremony, drawing criticism for inappropriate conduct in a sport that has struggled to overcome sexism.

The Spanish government and the world players' union condemned the behaviour of Luis Rubiales on Monday, a day after Spain's 1-0 win over England. The soccer federation led by Rubiales sought to downplay the incident through a statement it attributed to the player he kissed, then later released a video in which Rubiales apologised.

Immediately after Spain's victory, Rubiales grabbed his crotch in a victory gesture — seemingly oblivious to 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofía standing nearby.

He later kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal and trophy ceremony on the field, drawing unwanted attention away from the celebration and souring the country's biggest day for women's soccer.

The kiss was shocking given the sport's long-standing allegations of sexual misconduct by male soccer presidents and coaches against female players on national teams. Two of the 32 World Cup teams, Haiti and Zambia, had to deal with the issue while qualifying for the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Spain's acting minister for sports and culture Miquel Iceta told public broadcaster RNE "it is unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her."

The world players' union called the kiss "deeply lamentable."