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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspondent

‘Everything is better’: how Rubiales’s unwanted kiss transformed Spanish women’s football

Jenni Hermoso Football Luis Rubiales Spain Euro La Roja Montse Tomé Euro 2025 World Cup
Six members of the team run on the pitch in pre-match exercise.
Spain's players warm up before they face Portugal in the Euro 2025 football tournament, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

For years, they battled on multiple fronts: pushing back against the misogyny, misconduct and mistreatment of their football federation while simultaneously seeking to be the best in the world.

The conflicts of Spain’s women’s team exploded into public view after they won the World Cup in 2023 – a historic triumph that was almost immediately overshadowed by an unwanted kiss on the lips from the country’s football chief.

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