It’s Surprising FIFA Actually Banned Luis Rubiales

Back in the summer, when I saw the photos of then Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales planting an inappropriate kiss on World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso’s lips, his eyes closed while he held her head in his hands, I was unsurprised. Hermoso, who scored the tournament-winning goal against England, stood there, her arms spread out by her side, wing-like, as if she might fly away had she not been held still. And though the encounter was clearly not reciprocal, and though the power dynamic between a senior male figure in soccer and a younger female player was palpable, it did not shock me.