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It took Luis Rubiales’ public behavior to validate Spain players’ concerns

Jorge Vilda and Luis Rubiales were at the center of the original complaints from Spain’s “Las 15.” (Alex Pantling – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales has refused to resign from his position in the aftermath of the scandal at the Women’s World Cup final, despite reports that he would do so on Friday.

Rubiales was seen non-consensually kissing player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony and making a lewd gesture in the stands at the end of the game. His actions have come under fire in the days following the Spain women’s national team’s first World Cup win. During an emergency meeting among Spain’s soccer federation (RFEF) members on Friday, where reports had indicated Rubiales would resign, he instead staunchly defended his actions and refused to bend to public pressure.

“They’ve told me that the best thing would be to resign because if not, probably on Monday it would occur to someone to kick me out of the forum, find the formula,” Rubiales said in his speech. “But we’re in a country where the law rules, where there has to be a motive to take you out of some place. And I say: what is it I’ve done? A consensual peck is enough to get me out of here?”

The immediate aftermath of the shocking moment and the World Cup win itself was chaotic. Hermoso was seen saying on teammate Salma Paralluelo’s Instagram Live stream that she didn’t enjoy the kiss. Then, Rubiales was filmed making jokes about it in the locker room, including that he and Hermoso would get married in Ibiza.

Once it became clear the story wasn’t going away, Spain’s soccer federation, RFEF, issued a statement on Hermoso’s behalf downplaying the incident. It was later reported that the statement was not made with her full participation, which RFEF denies.

Rubiales put out a video statement apologizing for how the kiss was perceived and was met with a public outcry. Prominent players like the USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe and Sweden’s Caroline Seger, and coaches like the San Diego Wave’s Casey Stoney, condemned Rubiales and his actions.

“I want the whole world to react,” Seger told a Swedish newspaper, “and I want something to happen because it’s clear that there are problems in RFEF. If people think it’s not wrong, it’s just not acceptable!”

Spanish politicians have also condemned Rubiales’s actions. Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s acting prime minister, said Rubiales’ apology “wasn’t sufficient.” Futpro, the Spanish players’ union, said it would investigate inappropriate actions on Hermoso’s behalf in conjunction with TMJ, Hermoso’s agency. Liga F, Spain’s premier women’s domestic league, called for Rubiales’ resignation.

“It is time to take a step forward,” Liga F’s statement read. “The opposite would be a humiliation for all women and the biggest defeat of Spanish sport and our country.”

Beatriz Álvarez Mesa, President of Liga F, went one step further in her comments.

“Those of us inside know that he has never done anything for women’s football,” she said this week. “He creates obstacles and inconveniences. Luis Rubiales has never believed, nor will he believe, in women and their role in soccer.”

Rapinoe also alluded to the larger issues following the Spanish federation both before and after the World Cup. Rubiales’ behavior signaled “such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man,” she told The Atlantic this week.

In fact, Spain has been shrouded in controversy for over a year. Even as the team reached new heights at the international level, they were followed by the story of “Las 15,” the 15 players who refused call-ups to the senior team due to issues with federation resources and the management of coach Jorge Vilda.

In the letter “Las 15” originally sent to the federation, those specific issues weren’t shared in detail, though players said the culture was having an “important effect on my emotional state and by extension my health.” A report in The Athletic elaborated on some of the complaints, which included allegations that the coaching staff requested hotel doors remain open until midnight and the intrusive searching of player belongings.

RFEF — led by Rubiales — quickly condemned “Las 15,” sticking by Vilda’s management and demanding contrition from protesting players in order to have a chance to play in the World Cup. Three players — Aitana Bonmatí, Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey — returned to the team, and the group made it all the way to the World Cup trophy lift despite intense internal tension.

The USWNT’s Christen Press had expressed hope that Spain’s World Cup success would give players greater leverage to effect change inside their federation, but that reality has played out differently. In a strange way, swift public reaction to internal complaints only came in the moment that Rubiales felt that he too had won.

He had been quoted in the Spanish media as feeling vindicated by Spain’s success in the World Cup prior to the final, celebrating what he saw as a few naysayers being proven wrong. He also initially called the backlash to his behavior “idiotic,” telling Spanish radio station Cope: “We do not pay any attention to idiots and stupid people. It was a peck between two friends celebrating something.”

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Jennifer Hermoso celebrates Spain's World Cup win on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

The defiance immediately after the final whistle blew wasn’t relegated to individuals. The official social media channel for the Spain women’s national team posted a photo of Vilda with the caption “Vilda In,” appearing to directly reference criticisms of the team’s head coach. For a few brief moments, those who had reprimanded “Las 15” so fiercely had appeared to get what they wanted — validation by winning on the field.

As disheartening as it is to see, those attitudes have long held a place in sports, and specifically in women’s sports.

“You can be a fantastic football coach, absolutely fantastic, and you can be an absolutely horrible human being and not deserve to be in a position,” Gotham FC and USWNT player Midge Purce said on “The 91st” podcast. And her perspective is hard-won.

“We’ve seen it in the NWSL when we had to get rid of coaches, because the very thing existed. We had a coach who was the most winningest coach in the league, in league history, and he was abusing the players,” Purce continued, referring to the culture of abuse under Paul Riley while he was a head coach in the NWSL.

“I don’t really see this line of reasoning, which is ‘you win, you must stay,’ and I think prioritizes the values of society really, really poorly. What a dangerous message to send to not just young women but young men as well.”

The aftermath of the incident also showcased the pressures Spain’s players have likely been feeling for months. Hermoso downplayed the kiss in a radio interview, calling it “just a small thing.” But the 33-year-old midfielder also reportedly refused to appear alongside Rubiales in his apology video, despite pleas from both Rubiales and Vilda, and she supports those urging appropriate action be taken.

The good news is that Rubiales’ brazenness in the moment has caught the attention of those with far more influence than any individual player.

“What it does is it licenses me to speculate a lot, way more than I was before,” said Purce. “And the amount, the speculation that I have is very damning. And my heart is with the players, and I hope that it concludes in the way that is beneficial to them.”

With FIFA’s interest in the case, hope is renewed that the internal reform many have hoped for inside Spain’s federation might soon come to fruition, despite Rubiales’ adamant denials. Let’s also hope that next time, it won’t take egregious behavior in the public eye for those in power to take serious action.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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