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    Luis Rubiales and Spain’s Kiss Scandal at the World Cup, Explained

    An unwanted kiss cast a pall over the Spanish team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup. Some are calling it a #MeToo moment for the country and for soccer there.When the Spanish women’s national soccer team won the World Cup final this month, their compatriots had little time to celebrate before the behavior of the country’s top soccer official prompted a controversy over misogyny and sexual assault.During the ceremony after the team’s victory, Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, forcibly kissed Jennifer Hermoso, a star forward, on the lips — a move that Ms. Hermoso later described as “an impulse-driven, sexist, out-of-place act without any consent on my part.”Despite numerous calls for him to resign, Mr. Rubiales has forcefully defended his conduct and insisted that the kiss was consensual. But last weekend, FIFA, the world’s top soccer body, suspended him and barred him from contacting Ms. Hermoso. On Monday, Spanish prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Mr. Rubiales’s conduct, and later that day, his own association called on him to step down immediately.Here is what to know about the events.What happened?During a ceremony after Spain’s 1-0 victory over England in the final on Aug. 20, Mr. Rubiales kissed Ms. Hermoso on the lips, an act that was captured on video.In a separate incident, he was filmed grabbing his crotch in a victory gesture, while standing a few feet from Spain’s queen and her 16-year-old daughter — for which he later apologized.Jennifer Hermoso during a World Cup match in New Zealand in July.John Cowpland/Associated PressMr. Rubiales initially apologized for kissing Ms. Hermoso but later backtracked, insisting in remarks on Friday that the act had been “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual.” He also accused his critics of engaging in “false feminism.”Ms. Hermoso said that she had not consented to the kiss and that she had faced pressure to publicly play down Mr. Rubiales’s actions. She said in a statement on Friday that “no person, in any work, sports, or social setting, should be a victim of these types of nonconsensual behaviors.”Does Spanish soccer have a sexism problem?Many in Spain have lamented that the kiss has redirected a jubilant nation’s attention away from the victorious team toward a controversy centered on Mr. Rubiales. But some soccer players and feminist activists have pointed to entrenched sexism in the sport that long predates the scandal.The previous head coach of the Spanish women’s national team, Ignacio Quereda, was ousted in 2015 amid accusations of sexism. And his successor, Jorge Vilda, has also faced complaints. Last year, more than a dozen players refused to play on the women’s national team amid complaints of unequal pay, intrusive treatment by Mr. Vilda and a general culture of sexism.Some Spanish commentators and government officials have called the kiss a #MeToo moment for soccer, one of the country’s most entrenched bastions of machismo — a sense of masculine pride and entitlement. Activists have used the slogan “se acabó,” meaning “it’s over,” to call for changes.“We are ready for this to be the #MeToo of Spanish football and for this to be a change,” Victor Francos Díaz, who directs Spain’s National Sports Council, told reporters on Friday.Yolanda Díaz, the country’s labor minister, wrote on social media on Monday that “the fight of female players is that of the whole society.”Who is Luis Rubiales?A career soccer player born in the Canary Islands and raised in Motril in southern Spain, Mr. Rubiales, 46, never became a household name as a defender on the field.But he rose through the ranks off the field, becoming the chief of the Spanish players’ association in 2010 and then head of the federation — Spanish soccer’s governing body, which represents women and men — in 2018.Mr. Rubiales speaking during an emergency meeting of the Spanish soccer federation in Las Rozas last week.Rfef/Europa Press, via Associated PressWhat has the reaction been in Spain and abroad?Spain’s main soccer federation, the main union of professional female soccer players and leading politicians, including government ministers, have denounced Mr. Rubiales’s conduct and called for him to resign.Members of the women’s national team, along with dozens of other players, have vowed not to play for Spain “if the current managers continue.”On Monday, Spanish prosecutors said they were investing the episode as a potential act of sexual assault, a crime punishable under Spanish law by one to four years in prison.Feminist groups organized a rally in support of Ms. Hermoso in Madrid on Monday.Aldara Zarraoa/Getty ImagesThe soccer federation that Mr. Rubiales leads initially backed him and issued a statement saying that he “did not lie.” But late Monday, after a protracted emergency meeting, it reversed course and called for him to step down, citing “unacceptable behaviors that have seriously damaged the reputation of Spanish football.”On Saturday, FIFA, the world’s governing soccer body, said it had suspended Mr. Rubiales while it investigates the episode. FIFA also ordered both Mr. Rubiales and the Spanish soccer federation not to contact Ms. Hermoso. More

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    Spanish Prosecutors Open Inquiry Into Luis Rubiales Over World Cup Kiss

    Luis Rubiales caused outrage with his conduct after Spain won the Women’s World Cup and then for his defiant stand when he came under heavy criticism.Spanish prosecutors said on Monday that they had opened an investigation into whether Luis Rubiales, the president of the country’s soccer federation, could be charged with committing an act of sexual aggression after he kissed one of the female team’s players on the lips when they won the World Cup this month.Opposition has steadily grown in response to Mr. Rubiales’s conduct and his strident defense of it, and the group he heads, known formally as Royal Spanish Football Federation, has found itself under increasing pressure to take action. The group was meeting later Monday to discuss the issue.Mr. Rubiales was shown on video after the World Cup final in Sydney on Aug. 20 kissing one of the team’s star players, Jennifer Hermoso, and although he apologized the day after, he then took a defiant stand later in the week.He said Ms. Hermoso had lifted him off his feet and “moved me close to her body,” accusing his critics of “false feminism” and saying he was the victim of “social assassination.” Ms. Hermoso countered in a statement, “At no time did I consent to the kiss that he gave me.”The Spanish team has recently found success at the highest levels of women’s soccer, after reaching the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2015, but the events involving Mr. Rubiales were a reminder that the program has been plagued by sexism and other scandals.Mr. Rubiales is a vice president of UEFA, soccer’s governing body in Europe, and has been leading the joint bid by Spain, Portugal, Morocco and possibly Ukraine to host the 2030 World Cup. FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, had already suspended him from the sport for 90 days. The entire female team and dozens of other players signed a joint statement saying they would not take the field to play for Spain “if the current managers continue.”Criticism of Mr. Rubiales has come from the government, too. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described his conduct as “unacceptable,” and the secretary of the opposition People’s Party, Cuca Gamarra, called the kiss “shameful.”Players from around the world showed their support for Ms. Hermoso, often using the hashtag “se acabó,” or “it’s over,” after a social media post by Alexia Putellas, a member of the Spanish national team. More

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    Spanish Soccer Chief Finds His Defenders Backing Away

    Luis Rubiales was widely condemned for kissing a player after the Spanish women’s team won the World Cup, but retained a few public supporters. Many now appear to be reconsidering.When the president of the Spanish soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, kissed Jennifer Hermoso, a star forward on the Spanish national team that had just won the Women’s World Cup, much of the Spanish news media condemned his behavior. Most mainstream outlets, along with Spaniards on social media, called out the kiss as evidence of a callous disregard for Ms. Hermoso and, more broadly, lingering sexism in soccer.Not the radio sportscaster Manolo Lama. Mr. Lama said on a popular late-night show on the Cadena Cope radio station, “Those who are angry, it’s because they have never been kissed.” He used the female pronoun for “they” in Spanish.Earlier, in a post-match interview with Mr. Rubiales, also on Cadena Cope, a popular sports presenter, Juanma Castaño, did not question the federation president about the appropriateness of his behavior. When Mr. Rubiales characterized the kiss as a “peck between two friends celebrating something” and brushed off his critics as “losers,” “idiots” and “stupid people,” Mr. Castaño laughed and said, “I think the same thing.”As the chorus of condemnation grew over the week following Mr. Rubiales’s actions at the World Cup final, it became harder to defend the federation president.Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez waded in, calling it “unacceptable” that the soccer chief had kissed a player on the lips without her consent. The secretary of the opposition People’s Party, Cuca Gamarra, described the kiss as “shameful.” On Saturday, the world soccer federation temporarily suspended Mr. Rubiales. On Monday, Spanish soccer officials will hold an emergency meeting about the situation.Since their initial comments, both sports journalists have apologized to their audiences. Mr. Castaño issued a statement last Monday saying that he now realized the kiss was “more than a mistake with no importance.”Mr. Lama published an apology of sorts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, asking last Monday for “forgiveness from those I have offended.” But he did not condemn Mr. Rubiales, and wrote of the kiss: “I simply think it is an act produced from euphoria and without malice.”“But Spain has become a country of inquisitors,” he continued, “if you think differently, you’ll be stoned.”The Cadena Cope radio station did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The kiss has brought the ongoing lively conversation in Spain about the treatment of women back into the fore.Some of Spain’s conservative mainstream news outlets have used the incident to take a dig at a controversial law passed in August last year by Mr. Sánchez’s Socialist government. The law classifies all nonconsensual sex acts as rape, but initially contained a loophole that allowed some convicted offenders to lower their sentences.On Saturday, an editorial in Spain’s conservative newspaper, La Razón, described the episode as a “national monstrosity,” and said the progressivism of Mr. Sánchez’s government had created an environment that enabled Mr. Rubiales. “His vulgar and inappropriate behavior in the Women’s World Cup final would have been impossible” the editorial said, without the protection that Sánchez’s government “has provided to his escapades.”The more left-leaning El País has focused on the emergence of a hashtag in support of Ms. Hermoso: “se acabó,” or “it’s over,” coined by Alexia Putellas, a member of the Spanish national team, who is widely acknowledged as the best female player in the world. An editorial on Saturday said that “women are saying enough to the abuse of power and Spanish society is with them.” By Sunday, El País led with the simple affirmation: “Spain no longer tolerates ‘los Rubiales,’” referring not only to Mr. Rubiales, but to sexist behavior in general.Protesters on Friday holding red cards, which signify the sending off of a player in soccer, as a protest against Mr. Rubiales in Las Rozas, Spain.Isabel Infantes/ReutersThe sports newspaper AS, which had seemed to initially back Mr. Rubiales, has dropped its support for the soccer chief.Earlier this week, it ran a headline blaming Ms. Hermoso — “Jenni lets Rubiales take the fall.” By Saturday, after widespread criticism, it was leading with a photo of Mr. Rubiales and a more neutral headline in reference to him, “Struck down.”Some of his colleagues at the Spanish soccer federation are shifting their allegiance as well.On Friday, as Mr. Rubiales defiantly announced he would not be quitting, many of his closest colleagues, including Jorge Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the managers of the Spanish women’s and men’s squads, gave him a standing ovation.Hours later, FIFA announced Mr. Rubiales’s suspension from soccer for 90 days, and the entire female squad and dozens of other players signed a joint statement saying they would not take the field to play for Spain “if the current managers continue.”Mr. de la Fuente and Mr. Vilda have now distanced themselves from Mr. Rubiales, with Mr. Vilda saying that he regretted the “inappropriate conduct” of his boss. 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    Spanish Soccer Body Threatens to Sue Over Player’s Account of Kiss

    The group said it was defending the honor of its president, Luis Rubiales, who kissed the player, Jennifer Hermoso. Players have vowed not to take the field until he resigns.Spain’s soccer federation late Friday threatened legal action to protect its president’s reputation after a member of Spain’s victorious women’s World Cup championship team said he had forcibly grabbed and kissed her on the lips, prompting calls for his resignation.Luis Rubiales, the Royal Spanish Football Federation chief, has insisted he did nothing wrong with regard to the player, Jennifer Hermoso, who said she never consented to his actions but had faced pressure to publicly back Mr. Rubiales.Mr. Rubiales’s kiss — broadcast live to millions — cast a pall over the team’s celebrations and recalled a history of accusations of sexism in Spanish soccer.“I want to clarify that, as seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me,” Ms. Hermoso said Friday in a statement issued by the country’s soccer union. “I do not tolerate my word being questioned, much less that it be made-up words that I haven’t said.”In a statement, the federation vowed to take “as many legal actions as are appropriate in defense of the president’s honor” following Ms. Hermoso’s account of what happened. Mr. Rubiales said that Ms. Hermoso lifted him up, citing this as evidence she approved of his actions, and his organization has backed him.Ms. Hermoso has denied intending to lift Mr. Rubiales.Players on the Spanish women’s team, along with dozens of others, have said they will refuse to play for the national team until “the current managers,” including Mr. Rubiales, are gone. More

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    Nike Says It Will Offer Mary Earps’s Goalkeeper Jersey

    After being criticized for not offering replicas of the jerseys worn by the English goalkeeper Mary Earps and others in the Women’s World Cup, Nike said limited quantities would be available.With each breathtaking save made by Mary Earps, the goalkeeper who helped England’s national team take second place in the Women’s World Cup, the complaints from fans got louder: Why couldn’t they buy a replica of her Nike jersey?Nike, which outfitted the team, has attempted to present itself as being ahead of the curve in terms of offering support to female athletes and emerging sports talent. Though the company, the world’s largest sportswear maker by sales, acknowledged fans’ interest in replica goalkeeper jerseys, it initially did not commit to making them.That changed on Wednesday, after thousands of people had signed a petition requesting that replicas of the jerseys worn by Ms. Earps and other women goalkeepers be released, and after a motion addressing the issue was submitted in the British Parliament.“Nike has secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, U.S., France and the Netherlands to be sold through the federation websites over the coming days, and we are also in conversations with our other federation partners,” a spokeswoman for Nike said in a statement emailed to The New York Times on Wednesday evening, referring to members of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body.Nike is “committed to retailing women’s goalkeeping jerseys for major tournaments in the future,” the spokeswoman said in the statement, which did not specify how many jerseys would be available or when they could be purchased.In the days before, Nike, which outfitted 13 of the 32 teams in the Women’s World Cup, had faced an escalating backlash from soccer fans on the issue. (Replica goalkeeper jerseys were available for four of the men’s teams Nike sponsored in last year’s World Cup.)Many of the complaints centered around Ms. Earps, 30, who received the Golden Glove, an award recognizing the top goalkeeper in the tournament. “She’s the best in the world right now, and she doesn’t have a jersey,” Beth Mead, who has played for England’s women’s national team, told the BBC. “She doesn’t have a shirt that young boys and girls can buy.”Why wouldn’t Nike want to offer replica jerseys for popular goalkeepers?In the past, goalkeeper jerseys have not been best sellers for athletic-wear companies, for a few reasons.With a few exceptions, goalkeepers typically do not cultivate the kind of passionate fan base that other players like forwards can, meaning potentially fewer jersey sales.A goalkeeper’s jersey is also different from that of other teammates to ensure they stand out on the field. (Ms. Earps’s World Cup jerseys were emerald green and pink; her teammates’ were blue and white.) While a team’s main shirt can be produced en masse — with versions for various players requiring a simple name change on the back — a goalkeeper’s jersey requires a much smaller and more customized manufacturing run.Though interest in women’s soccer has risen, the sport still drives fewer apparel sales globally compared to men’s soccer.Did other brands make jerseys for goalkeepers playing in the Women’s World Cup?Adidas, which outfitted 10 teams for the tournament, did not offer replica goalkeeper jerseys. Neither did Puma, which made kits for Morocco and Switzerland.But Hummel, which made jerseys for Denmark’s national women’s team, and Castore, which made them for Ireland, each have released replica goalkeeper jerseys for those teams.How did the controversy start?At a news conference at the start of the Women’s World Cup, Ms. Earps expressed frustration about Nike’s decision not to offer replicas of the jerseys worn by participating teams’ goalkeepers. “It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful,” she said, adding that she had sought talks with both Nike and the Football Association, the governing body for English soccer, after England won the European Women’s Championship tournament last year.Ms. Earps, who is a goalkeeper for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League, also pushed back on the idea that her jersey would not sell. “My shirt on the Manchester United website was sold out last season,” she said.By the time England faced off against Spain in the Women’s World Cup final, Ms. Earps had made several vital saves that helped keep her team in the tournament. Her star performance only intensified questions about Nike’s decision.David Seaman, a former goalkeeper for Arsenal and England’s men’s national team, posted a message of support for Ms. Earps while she was playing in the final. “Bet Nike are regretting not selling the #maryearps shirt now,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.Another post on X shared that day read in part: “My 10 year old daughter is the goalie in her school team. She’s just gone online to buy a jersey for next year and wanted one like Mary Earps’s only to find Nike don’t do one. ‘That’s a bit stupid’ she said.”In the absence of an official replica jersey by Nike, some of Ms. Earps’s fans made their own jerseys using tape. Several small retailers also started manufacturing jerseys similar to her Nike shirt.How did Nike respond at first?In a statement released after the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday, which England lost 1-0 to Spain, Nike tried to put the focus on the future.“We are working toward solutions for future tournaments in partnership with FIFA and the federations,” the company said. “The fact that there’s a conversation on this topic is a testament to the continued passion and energy around the women’s game, and we believe that’s encouraging.”That did not satisfy Ms. Earps. On Tuesday, she reposted Nike’s statement to her Instagram account, adding the text: “Is this your version of an apology/taking accountability/a powerful statement of intent?”In another Instagram post, she shared a link to a Change.org petition that had been created in her support. It has received more than 150,000 signatures.Ms. Earps, through a representative, declined to comment for this article.How did Parliament get involved?This week, Tracey Crouch, a member of Parliament and former sports minister, submitted a motion calling on Nike to release a jersey for Ms. Earps.Nike “could have changed this,” Ms. Crouch wrote in an essay published in The Independent on Wednesday. “They still can if they take their fingers out of their tin ears and listen to the hundreds of thousands of women who have signed the petition, gone on social media, listened to the outcry on the media.”The change of course by Nike, and the loud online chorus that apparently prompted it, underscore the growing influence of the global women’s game and its major names. More

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    Luis Rubiales Apologizes for Kissing Jennifer Hermoso After World Cup Win

    “Probably I made a mistake,” Luis Rubiales, the Spanish soccer federation chief, said after grabbing Jennifer Hermoso and planting a kiss full on her mouth, igniting howls of outrage on social media.A day after drawing outrage by grabbing and forcefully kissing the Spanish forward Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the Women’s World Cup medals ceremony, Spain’s soccer federation chief issued something of an apology.“I have to apologize,” the official, Luis Rubiales, said in a video broadcast by the federation on Monday afternoon. “Probably I made a mistake.”The kiss was delivered in Sydney, Australia, only a few feet from where the Spanish queen, Letizia, was standing onstage as she congratulated the women’s team for trouncing England, 1-0, to capture its first World Cup trophy on Sunday.Video footage shows Mr. Rubiales enveloping Ms. Hermoso in his arms, grabbing her face between his hands and planting a kiss full on her mouth.Spaniards reacted with confusion and disgust on social media. Many saw it as evidence of a callous disregard for Ms. Hermoso and, more broadly, lingering sexism in soccer.The episode is the latest in a string of incidents that have plagued the women’s national team in recent months. Last year, 15 star players walked out in protest, accusing the coach, Jorge Vilda, of outdated training methods and controlling behavior.But the soccer federation backed Mr. Vilda, and only three of the rebel players were readmitted to the team.At first, Mr. Rubiales responded to the latest controversy with flippancy, brushing off his critics as “losers” in a late-night interview with the Cadena Cope radio station before boarding a flight back to Spain from Australia.“We shouldn’t pay attention to idiots and stupid people,” he said then, claiming that the kiss had been just a “peck between two friends celebrating something.”But by the time his long-haul flight landed in Spain on Monday morning, condemnation of his behavior was widespread in Spain.Adding his voice to the chorus of complaints, the minister of culture and sport, Miquel Iceta, called for an explanation from the soccer chief, pointing out that it was unacceptable to congratulate soccer players by kissing them on the lips.Other prominent politicians demanded Mr. Rubiales’s resignation. The minister of equality, Irene Montero, accused Mr. Rubiales on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, of sexual violence.Mr. Rubiales then changed his tune. “There was no bad intention by either party,” he said on Monday. “We saw it as natural,” he added, apparently referring to Ms. Hermoso. “But it has caused a commotion and people are offended, so I must apologize.”Attempts to reach Mr. Rubiales by phone and email were not successful on Sunday and Monday.As for Ms. Hermoso, she seemed to have been taken by surprise by the kiss on Sunday, and expressed her distaste in a post-match video, saying, “Hey, but I didn’t like that!”Later, she appeared to downplay the episode. “It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture,” she said, “because of the huge joy of winning a World Cup.” More

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    A Kiss After Spain’s World Cup Win Prompts Many to Cry Foul

    A soccer federation chief kissed the Spanish forward Jennifer Hermoso fully on the lips during the medals ceremony, an unpleasant reminder to many of the sexism that has plagued women’s soccer.Spaniards celebrated their country’s first Women’s World Cup victory on Sunday afternoon by holding dance parties in the streets and sharing their giddy delight.But it was a kiss seen around the world that was the talk of social media.Amid the national jubilation, many were jolted by an impromptu kiss planted on the Spanish forward Jennifer Hermoso by the president of Spain’s soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, during the medals ceremony, an unpleasant reminder to many of the sexism scandals that have plagued Spanish women’s soccer.After the Spanish players defeated England 1-0 and lined up onstage in Sydney, Australia, to collect their medals before lifting the World Cup trophy, Mr. Rubiales enthusiastically grabbed Ms. Hermoso, kissed her on the cheeks and then kissed her fully on the lips, video of the encounter showed. Spain’s Queen Letizia was onstage at the time.¿Lo de Rubiales? pic.twitter.com/H7ZaAQ0RxU— Darío (@Youpsico) August 20, 2023
    Later, in another video, Ms. Hermoso is seen apparently making her distaste known, responding, “Hey, but I didn’t like that!”The video of what many concluded had been an unwanted smooch was widely shared on social media, spurring confusion among many Spaniards and prompting others to denounce it as highly inappropriate behavior. Some called it disgraceful and evidence of lingering sexism in soccer. Others demanded that Mr. Rubiales resign.As of Sunday night, he had not responded to the criticism. The soccer federation did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment from Mr. Rubiales as it was late in Spain.The kissing episode revived memories of the mistreatment of Spain’s female soccer players. For 27 years, the women’s national team had the same coach, who was infamous for dismissing the players as “chavalitas,” or immature girls. He was dismissed in 2015 after players protested.Current members of the women’s national team have also complained that they have been disrespected by top male soccer executives and denied the kind of elite equipment and treatment given to the men’s teams. The women have said that the facilities the federation provided for them are subpar and that Jorge Vilda, their coach, fostered an oppressive workplace environment, one in which the players’ every move was monitored by his staff.Last fall, many players revolted against the coach and federation, accusing them of mistreatment and withdrawing from consideration for the national team. Ms. Hermoso was seen as having tacitly supported the rebellion.The controversies did not stop Spain from winning this year’s World Cup. But the sudden kiss added another dimension to the women’s victory.In a live video posted on Instagram and shared on other social media platforms, Ms. Hermoso is seen celebrating with her teammates in the locker room after the final and smiling even as she says the kiss was not wanted.Adding to the confusion, Mr. Rubiales is heard in another video telling the players that they would be rewarded with a trip to Ibiza for their victory and adding that it would be an opportunity to celebrate his “wedding” to Ms. Hermoso — an apparent reference to the kiss.There is no indication that Mr. Rubiales and Ms. Hermoso are in a relationship.Nadia Tronchoni, an editor at El País, Spain’s biggest newspaper, noted in an opinion piece that Sunday’s victory was “more than a title” for Spanish women.“The women, the girls of this country celebrated the fact that our stubbornness has finally defeated machismo,” she said, referring to female players’ long struggle to be recognized. “Rubiales’s kiss to Hermoso reminds us that the road ahead is a long one.” More

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    Spanish Fans Rejoice at World Cup Win

    The final against England brought out fans of all stripes and rallied girls in both countries to hit the field and play.In the game’s last seconds, Ona Sánchez couldn’t sit still. Then, when the referee finally blew the whistle to confirm that Spain had won the Women’s World Cup, she and the crowd around her — girls, boys, parents and other fans who had gathered to watch the match in Sant Pere de Ribes, near Barcelona — erupted in cheers.“Campeonas! Campeonas! Olé, olé, olé!” Ona and her friend Laura Solorzano, both 11, and draped together in a Spanish flag, sang in the small town’s central cobblestone square as other supporters splashed water from a nearby fountain. The two friends, both players in a local soccer club, said they couldn’t have hoped for a better ending.“It was the first time I watched a World Cup,” Ona said, emerging from a group of dancing children. “And we won! I’m so happy! It fills me with hope.”Laura Solorzano, left, and Ona Sánchez, both 11, seconds after Spain won the Women’s World Cup.Constant Méheut/The New York TimesSpain’s first victory in the Women’s World Cup and England’s run to the final were not only formidable achievements for teams that have transformed into perennial title contenders in the space of just a few years. They were also a fortifying message to the many girls in both countries who have increasingly been taking up the sport: Women, too, can elevate a nation to the summit of world soccer.The final has reflected the increasing interest and investment in women’s soccer in Spain and England, with more and more girls joining clubs and leagues that are growing in size and professionalism — a profound change in countries where soccer was long the preserve of all-powerful men’s teams, and one that is likely to accelerate after this year’s World Cup.“The perception of women’s soccer has changed,” said Dolors Ribalta Alcalde, a specialist in women’s sports at Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. “It is now seen as a real and exciting opportunity for girls. This World Cup, with its high profile, will have an impact on how people view women’s soccer. It will help make a big step forward.”In England, the mood was more somber as the national team’s hopes to follow up its European Championship victory were dashed. Even so, professional and recreational leagues have seen a surge of interest in recent years from women and girls, in a nation that has considered itself the spiritual home of the game. The advancement of the Lionesses to the final has only fueled that optimism.England fans watching in London. Interest in women’s soccer has surged in Britain.Henry Nicholls/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images“It’s a catalyst for change,” said Shani Glover, an equal game ambassador for the London Football Association, which has pledged to encourage women and girls to play at both professional and recreational levels. An advocate for that shift, Ms. Glover said she had seen growing interest in girls signing up to the sport, particularly after England’s European Championship win. “Having the women center stage — it shifts the public’s mind-set,” she said.“If it was like before, I wouldn’t feel motivated; it was quite isolated,” Cerys Davies, 15, said while watching the final from an East London community center. Cerys trains several times a week at a football academy focused on giving underprivileged players a pathway to elite careers. “It’s good that women are getting the recognition and support they need,” she said, adding that she was heartened to see the crowds in the stadium for the final. “It allows me to know that I’ll be supported,” she said.Cerys Davies, 15, trains several times a week at a football academy focused on giving underprivileged players a pathway to elite careers.Isabella Kwai/The New York TimesIn Sant Pere de Ribes, residents did not have to wait for this year’s World Cup to benefit from the new spotlight on women’s soccer.Aitana Bonmatí, the Spanish star midfielder who was named the tournament’s best player, grew up in the town and played for the local youth soccer club for several years. As Ms. Bonmatí rose to success, many girls took up soccer, hoping to follow in her footsteps.“Our club has grown a lot,” said Tino Herrero Cervera, the club’s manager, noting that the number of girls’ teams has jumped from one to 10 since 2014. Girls now make up a third of the club’s players.“To see Aitana become such a great player motivates me,” said Laura, who wants to become a soccer pro herself. Her team won a youth league championship this year with a 14-point lead over the runner-up.“They’re the next Aitana,” Mr. Herrero said of Laura and Ona, grinning. He added that the high caliber of the girls’ play had helped the club rise in the league rankings. “It’s simple,” he said, “we want more girls to play.”Tino Herrero Cervera, the manager of the local youth soccer club, in Sant Pere de Ribes, south of Barcelona.Constant Méheut/The New York TimesThat has not always been the case. Dr. Ribalta, the sports academic, also oversees women’s soccer at Espanyol, a professional club in Barcelona, where she previously played for over a decade. “A girl playing soccer used to be a trauma for the family,” she said.Until recently, she said, female players were sometimes insulted on the pitch and denied access to proper training equipment and professional coaches, and they had to reconcile their sporting ambitions with the impossibility of earning a living from soccer.Women’s soccer teams were long disregarded — if not simply banned, as was the case in England in 1921. The country’s Football Association was alarmed by the popularity of women’s games, which had gained a following while the men’s league was suspended during World War I. The ban was in place for 50 years.In Spain, the women’s national team long lacked elite training facilities and even jerseys designed to be worn by women. It reached its first Women’s World Cup only in 2015, under a long-serving coach infamous for dismissing the players as “chavalitas,” or immature girls.Change came only in recent years. England created a professional domestic league for women in 2018, and Spain followed suit three years later. Corporate sponsors flocked in and elite women’s clubs such as Arsenal and Barcelona Femení started to attract more attention. The Barcelona team won two of the past three editions of the Women’s Champions League.Barcelona players celebrating after winning the Women’s Champions League final against Germany’s Wolfsburg in June.John Thys/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThat trend is filtering down to smaller and more amateur leagues, as well as younger players. In England, the number of teams playing in one girls’ league at Hackney Marshes, a famed playing ground for recreational soccer in East London, expanded to 44 teams from 26 in one season. In Spain, the number of registered female players has more than doubled since 2015, reaching nearly 90,000 today.That is still a far cry from the hundreds of thousands of men playing in both countries. But many are convinced that this year’s World Cup will inspire more girls to take up soccer and join talented youth teams, a pipeline for national women’s teams.“Many girls have watched these players on big screens for several weeks and followed them on social media,” said Soraya Chaoui López, the founder of the Women’s Soccer School in Barcelona, an academy begun in 2017 to help girls play soccer and to promote the role of women in the sport. “They are references they will listen to and imitate. They can look forward to becoming professional players themselves now.”Destiny Richardson, 14, left, and Dejaunel Bass, 15, watched the World Cup final on Sunday in London.Isabella Kwai/The New York TimesLooking up at the faces of the Lionesses loom on the screen in London, Destiny Richardson, 14, said, “Even if we come second, it’s still good.”She added that she was inspired as a player, saying, “You want to be there one day.”In London, a rare young player elated by the win was Mariam Vasquez, 9, who cheered when Spain triumphed, in honor of her family’s Spanish side.“I’m so happy to be with her to watch it,” her mother, Hind Aisha, said, adding that the whole family was supporting Mariam’s own soccer dreams. “I’m very proud — it’s a women’s game.” More