During Spain’s celebration after winning its first Women’s World Cup championship Sunday, Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso on the lips as the team was awarded its gold medals.
The awkward moment overshadowed what should have been a celebratory moment for the entire country, and on Monday, Rubiales issued an apology, both for the kiss and his initial defiance after the fact.
“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said in a video about the incident, per ESPN. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.
