A Kiss Cost Spain the 2025 Women's European Championship

Listen, I haven't memorized all of the Women's Soccer Rosters across Europe, so I asked AI:

Who are the Best Women's Soccer Players in Spain?

AI: Several Spanish women soccer players are highly regarded as some of the best globally. Aitana Bonmati, a midfielder for Barcelona and the Spanish national team, has been recognized as "The Best FIFA Women's Player". Alexia Putellas, also with Barcelona and the Spanish team, is another standout, having won the women's Ballon d'Or twice. Other notable players include Jennifer Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for Spain, and Irene Paredes, a top defender and captain of the national team. Salma Paralluelo, known for her speed and finishing, is also a rising star. 

Earlier last week, Spain lost the 2025 Women's Championship to England in a shootout. I thought that Spain was the prohibitive favorite, so I was mildly surprised. Let me be clear, I am not dialed in on all of the Women's National soccer teams in Europe, but I was curious if Jennifer Hermoso played.

After Spain won the Women's World Cup in 2023, Jennifer Hermoso was famously kissed by Spain's Football Federation boss, Luis Rubiales, on the victory stand. I chalked it up to an overzealous victory celebration. Hermoso, on the other hand, wasn't quite as forgiving. She sued him for coercion and sexual assault, he was convicted of the latter and was terminated from his position.

With Rubiales out of the picture, I wondered how Hermoso did in this tournament.

She didn't play.

Why not? Uh, I'm still trying to pull that apart. If she's the leading scorer in her team's history, I find it borderline unfathomable that she wouldn't be in the Women's Championships if she wasn't injured.

She's not injured, she just played for her club team, Tigres UANL Femenil a few days ago.

She is available for Spain, if called upon.

According to ESPN: "Coach Montse Tomé's (decided) to prioritize other players in her position, citing strong competition from players like Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, and Alexia Putellas. While Hermoso's absence was also linked to the fallout from the Luis Rubiales incident and subsequent team boycott, Tomé maintained that the decision was based on player selection and performance."

You know what I smell? I think Hermoso was blackballed. This was her official statement on X a week after the controversy in 2023:

23,000,000 Views

An athlete gets 23 million hits on social media, then goes silent for 2 years? Almost unheard of. Something is going on, politically, in the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation). Hermoso played 14 international games in 2024 and scored 5 goals and 2 assists. Still very respectable for her position.

But it's obvious that someone in the RFEF told Montse Tomé not to play Jenni Hermoso in 2025, and that decision cost Spain a European Championship.

Period.