On August 20th, Spain beat England in the Women's World Cup final, a match watched around the world. It’s not uncommon for players to feel elated after a match, especially one with the importance that the Women’s World Cup final holds. However, official heads of soccer federations don’t usually kiss female players on the lips, which is exactly what Spanish Soccer Federation head Luis Rubiales did as he was photographed hugging and kidding Jenni Hermoso, a player on Liga MX Femenil club CF Pachuca and the Spanish women's national team.

 In the days that followed, Hermoso came forward and claimed that the kiss was not at all consensual, and that she and her family had been pressured into downplaying the event as to not tarnish Spain's victory. Rubiales still insisted that the kiss was consensual, but the claims eventually led to his resignation from the Federation, at least partially because the team went on strike demanding better pay and his resignation. In the official prosecutions that followed, Rubiales was issued a restraining order and was charged with sexual assault and coercion. In his resignation post on social media, Rubiales claimed that the strong calls for his resignation were “disproportionate” and that he was the victim of “false feminists.” The Spanish Soccer Federation claimed that the moment was a “totally spontaneous mutual gesture” and questioned Hermosos' claims.

These events have garnered the attention of news outlets and sports fans all over the world, but they also bring to light a larger problem in women's sports. There's a reason that this story is so popular, in part because it's just another controversial sports moment for fans to gawk at, but also because it resonates with other women. Teresa Parker, from a charity known as Women’s Aid, stated, "This is exactly why many women do not come forward to report harassment or abuse.” She continued, "We are being asked to ignore what you can see on film, and to dismiss a woman when she says she didn't consent. It is an outrageous situation." Many have claimed that this is an extreme case of gaslighting, just another way to protect a man who has obviously made a mistake. 

It’s impressive in its own right that Hermoso stepped forward, and those that couldn't find their voice to speak out against harassment may finally feel like they can. Soccer presenter and journalist Semra Hunter says that she has never seen Spanish society "come together so unanimously... and agree this was completely inappropriate behavior." It’s sometimes frustrating that it takes some large display of social injustice to unite a population, but Hermoso’s situation has focused a powerful lens on women's soccer, one that highlights the injustice of systemic sexism and blindness when it comes to women's sports. But maybe now, spurred by the Spanish public, the Spanish Soccer Foundation can begin dismantling the inequities within their company, and start providing better conditions for their female players.

Information retrieved from BBC, AP news, Forbes, Reuters, Time and Wikipedia.