Jennifer Hermoso Fuentes is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Liga MX Femenil club CF Pachuca and for the Spain women’s national team. She is the all-time top scorer for both Barcelona and Spain. Jennifer Hermoso recently received a surprise kiss from Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales after she received a gold medal following the team’s Women’s World Cup final victory over England on Sunday.
Jennifer Hermoso Early Life and Age
Hermoso grew up playing futsal and seven-a-side football, sharing teams with boys throughout most of her youth. Hermoso is the granddaughter of Antonio Hernández, a former goalkeeper of Atlético Madrid. As a child, he would take her to watch Atlético’s matches at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. Hermoso arrived at Atlético Madrid at twelve years old with encouragement from her grandfather. Jennifer Hermoso was born 9 May 1990 as such she is 33 years old.
Jennifer Hermoso Professional Career
Jennifer Hermoso has played for different Spanish clubs such as Atletico Madrid from 2004-2010, Rayo Vallecano (2010-2013), a Swedish side Tyresö FF (2013). At the end of the 2013 Damallsvenskan season, she played for FC Barcelona Femeni. A prolific goal scorer she stayed at Barcelona until 2016-2017 season where she scored 77 goals in 90 games in her 3 years stint at Barcelona. She later signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain but the contract was mutually terminated on 10 August 2018 allegedly because she was homesick for Spain. After playing for Paris Saint-Germain for one season she re-joined Atletico Madrid where she helped them win their third consecutive league title. She then made her return to FC Barcelona on July 2 2019 where she signed a three-year contract. During the 2021 calendar year she scored 51 goals in all competitions, the most of any female footballer in the world and as a result finished second in Ballon d’Or voting behind teammate Alexia Putellas.
After weeks of speculations about her future, Hermoso signed with Liga MX Femenil club Pachuca on 21 June 2022 where she stills plays to the present.
Jennifer Hermoso Controversial Kiss With Luis Rubiales
Jennifer Hermoso started against England in the World Cup final on Sunday, but missed the chance to score when her second-half penalty was saved by Mary Earps. Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Luis Rubiales is facing criticism for giving Spain her a surprise kiss on the lips after the 33-year-old received her gold medal following the team’s Women’s World Cup final victory over England on Sunday. According to Sky sports forward Hermoso, who is Spain’s all-time record scorer, has been quoted in an interview with Spanish media as saying she did not enjoy the moment.
The behaviour of Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales here is not ok. This the highlight of a footballer’s career and they are highly emotionally charged. Jenni Hermoso said on Spanish TV of his grab and lip kiss: “Eh…yeah, I did not enjoy that.” https://t.co/u8WjAUj71a
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) August 20, 2023
Rubiales was on stage for FIFA’s awards ceremony following the final, along with other dignitaries, including soccer’s world governing body president Gianni Infantino, Spain’s Queen Letizia and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Video shows Rubiales embracing Hermoso, then putting both hands on her head before kissing her. He then pats her on the back as she walks away.
“Hey, I didn’t like it, eh,” says Hermoso as she apparently answers questions about the incident in an Instagram live video – a clip of which was shared by Spanish journalist Irati Vida on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Pero qué hago yo? No me ha gustado eh”
Jenni sobre el beso de Rubiales. Poco nos pasa pic.twitter.com/fsND7x14AO
— Irati Vidal (@iratividal) August 20, 2023
Later in the Instagram live video – taken in Spain’s locker room – Hermoso fields a question from another woman: “But what were you doing, sis?” The 33-year-old replies: “But what am I supposed to do?”
Asked by Radio Marca about the incident with Hermoso, Rubiales replied: “The kiss with Jenni? There are idiots all over. When two people have a moment of affection without any importance, we can’t listen to idiocy. We’re champions and I stay with that.” However, Alberto Ortega of the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial posted on X that, “Rubiales taking the trophy from the players to give it to Queen Leticia and kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth is simply disgusting.”
El presidente de la Federación Española (Rubiales) coge y le planta un beso a una trabajadora (Jennifer Hermoso) aprovechando un momento de efusividad y despiste.
Ciertos medios de comunicación:
-“Como Casillas y Carbonero😍😍”
-“El beso del presi 😂😂🤣”Terrible.
— Albert Ortega (@AlbertOrtegaES1) August 20, 2023
“A new demonstration of the need to suck the camera [be the center of attention] and be the protagonist when it is not his turn,” added Ortega.
Hermoso wasn’t the only Spanish player kissed by Rubiales in the post-match celebrations.
After other members of Spain’s squad received their medals, video shows Rubiales kissing them on the cheeks as well as holding some of them in his arms.
Another video clip shows Rubiales interrupting a group of Spanish players celebrating, before kissing Olga Carmona, who scored Spain’s winning goal in the 1-0 victory over England, on the cheek.
In footage posted by Spain star Salma Paralluelo in an Instagram Live, Rubiales is pictured entering the dressing room and telling the Spanish players that the RFEF will pay for a trip to Ibiza for them, and that is where he will marry Hermoso.
CNN.COM reached out to Hermoso’s agent about the incident and also the RFEF’s press officer in Australia for comment, but hadn’t heard back at the time of publication.
