Borja Iglesias, a Spanish striker, resigned from the men’s national squad on Friday when federation head Luis Rubiales declined to resign following an unwelcome kiss on the lips of a Women’s World Cup hero.
The Real Betis forward, who has twice represented his country, most recently in March, spoke out against the Spanish football federation’s (RFEF) decision to refuse to resign.
Rubiales, 46, snatched Hermoso’s head and kissed her on the lips during the medal presentation after Spain defeated England 1-0 in the final in Sydney on Sunday.
“As a player and as a person I do not feel represented by what happened,” said Iglesias on social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Wearing the Spain shirt is one of the best things that has happened to me in my career.
“I don’t know if in another moment I will be available again, but I have taken the decision not to return to the national team until things change, and these type of acts don’t go unpunished.”
He added he was acting “for a more just, human and decent football.”
In refusing to stand down on Friday, Rubiales said in a defensive and fiery speech at a football federation emergency meeting that he was suffering a public “assassination” and railed against “false feminism”.
The federation president claimed his kiss was “mutual, euphoric and consensual.”