Newly crowned Women’s World Cup champions Spain have established themselves for a long run among soccer’s elite with their young and talented roster of rising stars.
La Roja defeated England 1-0 in Sunday’s final for their first major tournament title. Over the course of the month-long event, Spain played through the turbulence of last year’s player rebellion and the injury-diminished role of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.
Aitana Bonmati, at just 25 years old, solidified her credentials as a top midfielder, and 19-year-old forward Salma Paralluelo proved to be a rising global star.
“I know that this is the dream we’ve had since we were little. So right now it is difficult to comprehend. But when we get home, we’ll really know what we did,” Paralluelo said. “It’s something huge.”
Spain joined Germany as the only two nations to win both men’s and women’s World Cup titles and Bonmati spoke about inspiring a generation — just like her hero Andres Iniesta influenced her in 2010 when the Spanish men won the World Cup in South Africa.
Bonmati and her teammates after the match were already wearing new jerseys that included the star above Spain’s crest that signifies a World Cup title.
“Today we have this star and this medal and this cup, but it’s for all of them, all of those who have fought for more equality and to get us to a better place,” said Bonmati. “We love that we could contribute our part to be role models for all those girls and boys. Very emotional to have achieved something so extraordinary.”
More than anything else, Spain’s victory showed that the rest of the world is catching up to the traditional powers, like Germany, Brazil and the United States.
Apology for ‘kiss’
The Spanish football federation president, Luis Rubiales, apologised on Monday after an unsolicited kiss he planted on player Jenni Hermoso’s lips during celebrations of the country’s World Cup victory sparked outrage in Spain. “Surely I was wrong, I have to admit,” Rubiales said in a video statement sent by the federation. “It was without bad faith at a time of maximum effusiveness.”
Hermoso told teammates afterwards in the locker room that she “didn’t like it.”
She later downplayed the incident in a statement sent to Spanish news agency EFE by the federation. “It was a mutual gesture that was totally spontaneous prompted by the huge joy of winning a World Cup,” the statement said.
“The ‘presi’ and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has always been 10 (out of 10) and this was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”
