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As a footballer, I had never experienced anything like that before.

We felt helpless,

and I, at least, was furious about everything that was going on.

I don't think they believed in or cared about us.

He always saw us as his little girls.

Fifteen brats throwing a fit…

"Girls just play football for fun."

We'd just won the World Cup, and they ruined it.

The federation saw it as an attack and came after us.

And that made me so furious.

The first thing I thought was "It's all over."

IT'S ALL OVER: THE KISS THAT CHANGED SPANISH FOOTBALL

It's a dream come true for the whole country!

After 4,788 days,

Spain are world champions again!

Yes!

A lot of people don't know what really happened.

We couldn't take it anymore. It was the final straw,

after everything we'd been through day in and day out.

I was afraid to speak out,

but now I'm ready to tell all.

I think it will be a hard and painful memory.

I'm not nervous,

but this will be the first time it'll all be out there. You know?

Were you aware of what happened at the medal ceremony?

I don't think those of you there were…

We didn't realize it at the time. We were just happy we won the World Cup.

We were planning on celebrating big-time, non-stop,

which was what should've happened. But that wasn't the case, and that hit us…

DEFENDER

…gradually, in the aftermath.

Spain has made history.

As of today, they are Women's World Cup champs…

…the best World Cup ever, and Spain won…

There was controversy at the medal ceremony…

The president of the football federation was congratulating the players.

When he got to Jenni Hermoso, he kissed her on the mouth.

A peck between two friends celebrating… I don't have time for this bullshit.

And I don't wanna hear about what those buzzkills think.

I'm just happy I could celebrate by giving one friend a peck.

-I gave another friend… -Of course!

-Hey, I agree with you. -This is ridiculous.

-It was no big deal. -It was just lips. No tongue, Christ.

Just good vibes, happiness, sheer joy…

After what happened…

MIDFIELDER

…it feels like our World Cup win was overshadowed

and, well, tarnished.

KISS SPARKS GENDER-VIOLENCE CONTROVERSY

Luis Rubiales's behavior was unacceptable.

It snowballed.

The media frenzy kept growing, and we knew this was going to be big.

…making global headlines.

The Luis Rubiales case…

All right! Let's celebrate. We just won the World Cup!

The players should enjoy the moment. Take care…

They eclipsed our accomplishment.

After all our hard work and effort,

they stole it from us.

FEDERATION PRESIDENT 2018-2023

He honestly thinks he did nothing wrong.

He doesn't see any harm in what he did…

After the finals,

I was waiting for my luggage at baggage claim in the Madrid airport…

JOURNALIST, COPE RADIO

…when Relevo broke the story

on how Luis Rubiales pressured Jenni Hermoso and her family.

That changed everything.

People from the federation were putting a lot of pressure on Jenni,

and I saw it with my own eyes.

They asked her to say

that it didn't bother her, that it was no big deal.

They wanted to downplay it

to protect the president.

If that meant throwing Jenni under the bus,

then so be it.

It felt like we were being forced to forget or cover up what happened.

"We'll talk about what happened once the celebrations are over."

"Everyone deserves to celebrate."

This is for you!

We definitely weren't relaxed.

A general feeling of distrust was starting to set in.

We were caught between the euphoria of winning the World Cup

and this feeling that all hell was about to break loose.

World champions!

The head coach was acting like nothing had happened.

It was weird. The whole thing was.

Does the kiss controversy bother you?

We're world champs, right? It's all too much right now.

-It was wrong. -What about…?

After all that was over, we went to the hotel.

Then we went to Ibiza.

When we got there, it was clear our celebrations were, well,

actually going to be a nightmare.

They called and talked to Jenni

all the time.

Jenni told me, "I can't take it anymore. They won't stop."

She started crying. I said,

"It's okay. Just forget about it. Let's move on. Let's have some fun."

They kept calling, asking her to meet with someone from the federation.

It's almost like they'd sent us to Ibiza to keep Jenni nearby, right?

I didn't know what happened in Ibiza until Jenni told me

later on.

AUGUST 2023

FEBRUARY 2024

I think most of you had no idea.

Two people who were with me knew,

but no one else on the team knew. A bunch of us were there.

Remember when we had lunch…?

-At the hotel. -That's when it all started.

Rubén from Marketing gave me the phone number of…

the person from the Integrity Office and told me…

-We were having lunch. -Yeah.

I remember.

He told me I had to hop on a video call and say what happened and explain

that it was nothing. Just a result of all the joy and euphoria.

He wanted me to say that so they could put it in a report.

-Right. -And I was like, "No."

"I don't get what's going on."

He insisted on giving me the phone number. I was like, "Rubén, I'm eating lunch."

Then he insisted I talk to Albert Luque,

saying that he was my friend and that I could talk to him.

And you know how close I was with Albert Luque.

ALBERT LUQUE: CAN WE TALK REAL QUICK?

AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, YOU CAN'T TALK FOR TWO MINUTES?

JENNI HERMOSO: TYPING…

I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND

Then he guilt-tripped me, like,

"I've done so much for you."

Yeah, right. As if getting you a table at a restaurant is on the same level

as forcing you to say something that you don't believe or that isn't true.

And then, while we were still there, he went and texted my friend Ecu.

ALBERT LUQUE: GOOD MORNING, ECU

I THINK WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO LUIS IS SO UNFAIR

They tried to get Jenni's friend to convince her…

to do something. To give in, basically.

JENNI'S ATTITUDE IS REALLY DESPICABLE…

As if their lives were at stake.

I JUST HOPE SHE GETS WHAT SHE DESERVES

All of this was going on while…

we were supposed to be celebrating our World Cup win.

I had no idea at the time.

Later, when we found out, I felt bad.

Without actually saying it at the time, you were crying out for help.

And we were just like, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Celebrate. You deserve it. You crushed the World Cup."

I remember that when we were all sitting on the bus, together, after we won,

I started crying.

Next to you.

FEBRUARY 2024

JULY 2023 - WORLD CUP

NEW ZEALAND

Look, here's Alexia. But she's changed a bit.

We were like, "Australia and New Zealand? Sun, sea, surfing…"

August 2nd. I can't believe this.

We were stuck in some industrial park, with gray skies and rain every day.

Our hotel was far from the big cities, where the other teams were staying.

But then, at the opening match,

with all the fireworks and the packed stadium…

It was like, "Wow, we're really here. This is it."

And in sports, the Women's World Cup has begun.

The best Women's World Cup of all time.

-The stands are packed. -Packed. That's fantastic…

The 2023 World Cup solidified women's football as a spectator sport,

but, at the time, Spain was going through a unique crisis.

Fifteen players turned down the national team.

VILDA IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND THE PLAYERS, DIVIDED

THE 15

A scandal rocks the women's national team.

Fifteen players turned down the team and drew a line in the sand.

They refuse to join the team as long as Jorge Vilda is the head coach.

No one could have imagined that some of the best in the world,

not just Spain, but the world, wouldn't play in the World Cup.

But it happened.

Players who should be in this World Cup are not participating.

I think the biggest blow to the Spanish team is Patri Guijarro.

-Patri Guijarro and Mapi León. -Sandra Paños really stands out…

TEMPERS FLARE BEFORE WORLD CUP

There were many changes to the starting 11. It was up in the air,

but then Jenni Hermoso came back.

So did Irene Paredes. Alexia Putellas, the two-time Ballon d'Or.

Aitana Bonmatí, the best female footballer in the world.

I was concerned about

how certain players would react to suddenly being in leadership roles.

It would've been the first time. That's hard.

We'd really been struggling.

Plus, among us young players,

there were some that had never played in a big tournament before.

We were all like, "Bring it on."

We're heading into this World Cup at a serious disadvantage.

Personal relationships have broken down,

and it's up to Jorge Vilda and the coaching staff to rebuild them…

Well, it's not news to anyone, but they always say

super tight-knit teams are the ones that succeed.

There are no cracks. Honestly, that wasn't the case for us.

In my mind, the team was… fractured.

There was no sense of unity. None.

The team split in two, and we had to make a whole new team.

I was captain, and, of course…

some folks weren't happy.

-We'll fight! -As a team!

Let's win it all! Go, Spain…

Jorge Vilda had to make it work somehow.

Good morning, Vero Boquete.

I wasn't sure if she was going to play,

but, looking at all our players, it's safe to say this year has been tough.

And I think Ivana was in a difficult position too.

She had never started for the national team.

Then she was made captain for the World Cup,

where her role was to fully support

the head coach, the staff, and the federation.

They wanted her to do something she'd never done before,

be the starting center-back for the national team.

…the head coach, Jorge Vilda, and the team captain, Ivana Andrés…

That was Jorge Vilda's strategy.

There were players that stood by him,

and he rewarded them with the captain's armband.

However, in the locker room,

the natural leaders were Irene Paredes, Jenni Hermoso, and Alexia Putellas.

A lot of the time, I felt out of place, because, well,

they had historically been, and still were, the team captains.

As captains,

we never saw our role as blindly following the coach

even when it conflicted with the players' needs.

And that's fine, but that is what the coach wanted from his captain.

I don't want to be captain in that dynamic.

We understood that we were there to give 100% alongside our teammates,

and they saw it that way too.

Train, give 100%, and try to win.

GROUP STAGE - 2023 WORLD CUP

We've got goose bumps before Spain's 2023 World Cup debut.

Spain is back to play in another world championship.

Their group is fairly easy, especially Zambia and Costa Rica.

They should beat both teams before facing Japan.

The first match is always tough, because of the nerves.

But we also had all the stress from that year.

A long cross from Salma, over to Aitana. She shoots…

Aitana Bonmatí's first shot on goal.

Against Costa Rica,

Aitana made it clear that she'd be Spain's key playmaker.

Aitana Bonmatí…

What a goal. I hope she plays like that the whole tournament.

And she scored Spain's first goal of the World Cup.

-The first was an own goal. -That doesn't count.

"That doesn't count."

Then, in the game against Zambia, Alexia Putellas had her first start.

We all wanted Alexia back because, at the end of the day, she was the leader.

Alexia!

We scored again.

Alexia got the assist for one of Jenni Hermoso's goals.

Great, Alexia. She sends a cross…

Jenni scores!

We'd been doing that for years, so it was like,

"Cool, we did it in a World Cup too. Check."

Jenni Hermoso was outstanding, MVP of the match.

We tossed Jenni in the air not only because she crushed it

but also because we love her.

The Costa Rica and Zambia matches were

a preview of what Spain was capable of.

Then we faced Japan.

SPAIN - JAPAN

Japan was our rival.

History speaks for itself. They'd beaten us in past championships.

This was going to be Spain's first real test of the World Cup.

If we beat Japan, we'll be first in our group.

Spain has a superior team.

What do you want me to say?

That was tough.

We all felt helpless.

We didn't know what to do. We were out of ideas.

We couldn't find the answer.

We couldn't turn that match around.

We were outplayed. We felt helpless, frustrated.

They trounced us.

…buries it in the upper 90…

I felt every goal.

I hadn't felt like that in a long time.

We needed someone to tell us how to stop all those goals.

We needed new tactics because what we were doing wasn't working.

We needed help but didn't get it.

It was pretty common for the head coach to not have any solutions.

We lost 4-0, right?

What a horrible match.

That was one of the players' demands.

They wanted more help and support from the head coach. That didn't happen.

The result was the same.

We weren't playing on the same level as the best teams out there.

Now that the group stage was over, we had to win or we were going home.

That shot in the 67th minute…

That match really affected us.

Japan is thrashing Spain.

We, the veteran players, were having déjà vu all over again.

We made it past the group stage but expected to ultimately get eliminated.

We had been feeling like that for a while, like that was an impossible obstacle.

In the final rounds of big tournaments, we always got eliminated.

JULY 2023 - WORLD CUP

JULY 2022 - EUROS

And in sports, Spain was sent packing at the Euros.

Vilda's team suffered a spectacular loss against England in the quarterfinals.

There aren't many positive takeaways from this tournament.

Plenty of disappointment. Spain is out of the Euros.

But this match could be a turning point for the national team.

England was the stronger team and played better in the final minutes.

You could tell we were exhausted…

Honestly, our offensive game…

THE HOURS GO BY AND THAT LOSS STILL HURTS

The Euros were a turning point for our team.

We all knew something had to change.

We couldn't keep playing like that.

GROUNDHOG DAY

We had the world's best players, but we needed someone to show us the way.

We had the same expectations as last time and the time before that, zero.

More than ten years had gone by…

and we hadn't won anything, not even a game of marbles.

We had no chance against other countries, you know?

People weren't committed. The federation lacked structure.

So, we were like, "What do we do?"

As captains, we represented the players, so we decided to tell the federation

what we thought we needed in order to perform better.

First we spoke to the head coach.

We said we were going to tell the president about the situation.

Rubiales got mad, upset…

RUBIALES: HI, IRENE! I'M BEING POLITE HERE, BUT I'M SHOCKED

IN ALL MY YEARS, I'VE NEVER SEEN FELLOW FOOTBALLERS CALL THE PRESIDENT

AND ASK HIM TO FIRE A COACH

We didn't ask for a new coach because that wasn't our place.

We just wanted the situation to improve.

IRENE: THERE'VE BEEN SERIOUS ISSUES IN THE LOCKER ROOM FOR A WHILE

WE TRIED TO COVER THEM UP WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REPLACE ANYONE

This is the whole conversation.

The one that made headlines?

Yes.

-Verbatim? -Verbatim.

I was floored. That was our private conversation, just between us.

He was gunning for us.

When the players asked him for better working conditions,

he took it as an act of defiance.

Luis Rubiales felt like he was being challenged…

JOURNALIST

…so he punched back.

That had never happened with the men's team.

They could speak to him directly.

And they would ask Luis Rubiales for things all the time.

You gotta do this for me, Rubi. You gotta make this shit happen.

Dude, I'd be so fucking psyched to play in the Olympics.

When it came time for bonuses,

they'd squeeze him and even ask him for watches.

RAMOS: BUMP MY PAY LIKE WE SAID OR THERE'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM…

RUBIALES: WE'LL FIND MIDDLE GROUND FOR THE SEMIS AND FINALIZE…

RAMOS: DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE HUBLOT WATCH

RUBIALES: FINE, I'LL GET YOU THE DAMN WATCH TOO, JESUS

It felt like the federation… only had a women's team because they had to.

They didn't believe in or care about us.

The other teams had been chartering flights for years.

We didn't want that. We wanted decent flight times

so we could rest the day before a match in order to play well. That's it.

It was very basic stuff.

In between matches, there were five-hour bus rides.

We didn't have our own locker room.

There was one gym, for the boys, and we didn't have access

even if they weren't there.

Many issues.

2022 - EUROS

2015 - FIRST WORLD CUP

When I joined the team in 2015,

the head coach had been there for more than 25 years, I think.

He hadn't won a tournament.

HEAD COACH 1988-2015

We're very hopeful, very excited, obviously,

about our girls playing in their first World Cup.

It was as if we were his young daughters.

He'd pinch our cheeks…

…or love handles. He'd pinch those too.

He'd make homophobic, vulgar comments.

"What you need is a good…"

"…a good man" or "a good cock."

Any questions?

Whenever we bring up that era, that's what we talk about.

But the strategy sessions with the whiteboard are what I remember.

He drew 12 players, instead of 11.

On multiple occasions, not just once or twice.

We were younger back when we were starting out,

but some of the stuff we went through back then…

Think about it.

Well, you weren't around…

Wait, that was right when you were called up, at 19.

In fact, I went to the Euros in Sweden.

They were in Sweden that year… And then our first World Cup ever.

He'd draw those 12 players on the…

I just remembered the thing about you and the bullfighter.

The coach had a nephew that was a bullfighter--

Yeah, he really wanted me to date his nephew.

So, do people not offer their guests drinks in Mexico or…?

-Like a glass of water? -Someone else is coming, but, sure.

-Lemonade? -Lemonade.

Lemonade, it is.

That trip to Canada, with the jet lag…

We flew to Canada, and literally 24 hours later,

we played in Spain's first-ever match in a Women's World Cup.

That's how much we prepared.

-Did you make this? -You bet I did.

Remember that intra-team scrimmage on the turf field?

There was no real preparation.

-None. -None.

They basically said, "Well, let's see how far…"

Yesterday, Quereda submitted his letter of resignation to the RFEF.

Jorge Vilda, the head coach of the U19 team,

is now the new head of the women's national team.

He was completely unqualified.

He was coach for seven years and didn't do anything special for the team.

He joined the federation through his father, Ángel Vilda,

who was very close with Rubiales.

Jorge became head coach thanks to his connections.

I remember asking questions about applying defensive pressure,

and he didn't know what to say.

He'd say things like, "Don't worry. We have Plan A, B, C, and D."

We'd look at each other, like, "Do you know about these plans?"

That was the most frustrating part, the lack of solutions.

I'd like to mention Jorge.

He's doing a terrific job, and I learn a lot from him.

As the head coach of the national team… he's fantastic.

SEVEN YEARS IN CHARGE AND NEVER MADE IT PAST KNOCKOUT STAGES

The federation announced

it will renew Jorge Vilda's contract as women's head coach for two more years.

That was unprecedented.

Who hires and fires coaches? The sports director.

And he was the sports director.

So he was his own boss.

Therefore, Rubiales was the only person that could fire him.

It was completely absurd.

"Your contract has been extended." Then he'd shake his own hand. Understand?

-Why won't he leave? -'Cause he's also the sports director.

He's the head coach and master of women's football.

And because, with all due respect, where would he go?

Jorge was in charge of everything. He wanted total control.

He had to know about every article, every interview with a player…

If we were going to go out for a bite, he had to know who we were meeting.

One time, when the bus stopped for gas and we went in to buy stuff,

he had to check what we bought.

It was common knowledge that he'd come by our rooms at night

because he thought that was a good time to talk.

The fact that he'd come into our rooms when we were in bed…

It was really uncomfortable.

He knew that he was a mediocre coach.

Imagine being put in charge of a team full of demanding players.

You'd be afraid they'd talk behind your back.

Hence, all the control.

JULY 2022 - EUROS

AUGUST - 11 MONTHS BEFORE THE WORLD CUP

It's 11:34 a.m. There's been major uproar at the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

They described it as "impudent" and a futile act of rebellion…

When we spoke to the president after the Euros,

we assumed we'd discuss what could and couldn't be improved.

But he didn't like many of our ideas.

They said things weren't going to change.

Rubiales is temperamental. He reacted like we were attacking him.

And after that… well, the rest is history.

Today we've been told the captains and key players have requested

the immediate removal of head coach Jorge Vilda.

That would destroy the chain of command. The president, the situation…

I had just had surgery, and someone sent me a story.

The headline was, "Barça's Captains…"

Barça, not the national team.

"…call for Jorge's head," or something like that.

On behalf of the squad, we the captains have conveyed

how the players feel to both Jorge and the federation. That's all.

They asked you for his head? They want him gone?

Well, if that's your takeaway…

Regardless, if someone tells you, "This is what we think. Now, do something"…

Irene Paredes has been singled out

as the ringleader in the crusade against Vilda.

We couldn't believe

how they publicly displayed

so much anger and hatred towards their own employees.

It was obvious that we had started a war,

in which we were this small and they were this big.

TRAINING CAMP FOR THE WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

At the first training camp, they completely ambushed us,

because of the leaks that had happened.

So we arrived, ate lunch, and had a meeting.

At the time, we were a united front.

We wanted to make sure we each voiced our opinions

and showed them that we no longer trusted them.

We had to show the staff how we all, not just three or four people, felt.

That meeting was…

intense.

The chairs were set up in a circle,

and we were like, "Yikes."

A really tense situation.

First, we were asked if we still wanted to represent our country.

We were sitting in front of someone that was going to call us up

depending on what we said.

He justified himself, saying he'd done so much for us,

for women's football.

I said, "That's fine, Jorge. But, given the situation, we need more."

He felt really attacked.

Then more of us said our piece,

but many players kept quiet. They didn't say a thing.

In fact, a few…

spoke…

but contradicted the message we'd agreed on before the meeting.

I swear that I was sitting there,

and my gut was telling me, "Ivana, you have to speak up."

But some players had very radical stances, like, "I can't take this anymore."

I said to myself,

"There is way too much at stake here,

and I can't miss the World Cup."

I believe I was in a very unique situation

since I had just joined the national team.

And I don't want to openly share my opinion for this documentary.

Then the meeting ended, and I didn't speak.

At the time, I was upset

that many players didn't speak up.

We all felt the same way.

I admit I made a mistake in not speaking up earlier.

If I had, those players would've gone into the meeting knowing

that not everyone was on the same page.

I thought it was…

I don't know how to put it nicely.

…disrespectful towards the rest of the team.

I saw those meetings as a way of creating deeper rifts.

Until I could see that they were genuinely invested in us

and would give us what we needed to thrive as professional players,

I wasn't going to come back.

"I hereby inform you that, due to the recent developments

within the Spanish national team…"

"…of which you are already aware,

my emotional state and physical health have been significantly affected."

"Thus, I currently do not see myself as an eligible player for our national team…"

"That is why I request not to be called up until this situation is rectified."

"I am more than willing…"

"…to find a solution that is best for the national team."

SEND

Fifteen of us sent that email,

plus the three captains' support. So, 18 in total.

Could 18 people all be wrong?

We sent it at 7:00 a.m.,

and it made headlines in less than half an hour.

The conclusion, it had been leaked.

This whole thing is sad.

Ladies and gentlemen,

there has been a rebellion on the women's national team.

This is honestly shameful.

I think they've lost their minds.

No one was better at mudslinging

than the Spanish Federation under Luis Rubiales.

It was a lost cause.

I believe Rubiales is right in not giving in to this extortion…

I can't believe 15 players would walk away over something so trivial.

Fifteen, I hate to say it, brats throwing a fit…

There's a rebellion within the women's national team.

It was the top story everywhere…

They don't want to play under Vilda.

"The 15" were everywhere. The radio…

It's absurd.

There could be suspensions. If you're called up, you have to play.

Turning down the national team is never a tantrum.

If you've been picked and don't show up, you run the risk of getting suspended.

For multiple years.

There was growing scrutiny over who sent it. The names were leaked.

Patri Guijarro, Mapi León, Aitana Bonmatí, Sandra Paños…

And then they started questioning the players' psychological state.

…and I quote,

their "emotional state and physical health have been significantly affected."

I think it's complete nonsense…

Making that kind of decision is hard when your dream is being on the national team.

We were anxious, thinking that, in a month, we may get called up…

It was really stressful. I couldn't sleep…

I got help, and that allowed me to heal a bit,

but then I made peace with the situation.

If it meant missing a World Cup or never coming back, then so be it.

If you decide not to play for the national team,

you give up so much.

Not just the dream of wearing your country's jersey in a World Cup.

It's the visibility, the money,

putting yourself on the world stage…

And that was really tough for me, mentally.

HEALTH? YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE…

WHAT A BUNCH OF CRYBABIES

DON'T COME BACK

BETTER OFF WITHOUT THEM

FUCK OFF, EXTORTIONISTS

I had reached my breaking point.

I was frustrated, anxious, stressed…

AITANA BONMATÍ FEMINAZI

FEMINAZI AND TRAITOR

WOMEN ATHLETES ALWAYS CAUSING A SCENE

I asked myself, "Is this normal?"

Wouldn't it make more sense for the president

to bring both sides together again and find a solution?

-No. -You won't do that?

No. I'm not going to do that because I already did.

A decision has been made.

But can Spain go to the World Cup

without the best player in the world, Alexia Putellas?

I won't name names.

I think the national team needs players that are proud to wear the jersey,

and unless there is a bigger issue…

THE NATIONAL TEAM - THE 15

The 15 players left, and so did the captains.

And Jorge Vilda had to call up other players.

They wouldn't have been called up

if there hadn't been 15 open spots, right?

It felt contradictory.

I play for Barça,

alongside most of the players that refused the national team.

Then I got a call from Jorge Vilda.

He asked if I want to join the national team,

and I knew I was about to make a decision many of my teammates wouldn't like.

In order to win a big tournament,

sometimes it's not about having the best players.

Maybe we need other key qualities.

And now we have those on our team.

First, unwavering commitment to the jersey.

AVERAGE AGE OF 23

You could hear the spite in Vilda's voice

whenever he spoke about the players that turned down the team.

It sounded like we had to win to rub it in their faces.

I wanted to win because the World Cup was coming up.

I'm sure many of you are wondering how the World Cup will go

if we go into it without those 15 players who are some of the best in the world.

I was thrilled to be there,

but I felt bad, like,

"I don't want to be here just because others won't go."

I never wanted to hurt my friends.

They are both friends and teammates.

I was a benchwarmer for Barça,

and I was at a personal and professional low point.

I was honestly feeling terrible.

So making the national team made me feel… like a footballer.

Well, I was scared about

losing people that I loved,

about them thinking I was just being selfish.

I want them to understand that this was a very hard decision.

When the final call-up for the World Cup was approaching,

I had this realization. "We're only hurting each other,

and, in theory, we should all want the same thing."

So, one Sunday, I went to Madrid

and asked to meet with Rubiales.

7 MONTHS BEFORE THE WORLD CUP

I think they expected me to say, "Jorge can't be the head coach."

No, I had already told them that wasn't the problem.

The problem was the mindset.

And then we got to work.

I think the third point on the agenda was

"Try to convince the other players to change their minds."

Although they weren't willing to make all the changes we asked for,

their attitude had changed.

So I said to myself, "Aitana, you gave it your best shot."

"Maybe you can get more done from the inside."

So I decided to go back.

And we went to the World Cup, feeling very assured.

REQUESTS: TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION

They signed off on the family support plan,

and a lot of families decided to come.

That was the only way I'd be able to go.

"Let's take the whole team and give it our best."

They had an edge, the upcoming World Cup,

and they knew that was our weak spot.

Ultimately, of the 15 who took a stand, only seven of us remained.

It's over!

This round-of-16 match is over. Spain…

5-1 against Switzerland.

A historic day for Spanish women's football…

We thought they wouldn't come back from their loss to Japan. We had started…

We needed to get our rhythm back after that tough loss the other day.

And we were all fixated on past performances.

For the first time ever, Spain has made it to the quarterfinals.

These players had never made it past a knockout stage in a big tournament,

so I think they're ready to give it their best shot.

Without a doubt, Jorge has found his starting lineup for the World Cup,

with Aitana Bonmatí as captain, leading the way.

Spectacular.

I'm thrilled we've made it to the quarterfinals. We've made history.

And we discovered the center-back duo, Irene Paredes and Laia Codina.

Ivana was benched

because Laia Codina proved to be a natural center-back.

Hello and welcome.

These are the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup.

Spain is ready to keep making…

We played well in the first half, had chances, but no goals.

As a defender, all I could think was, "Please, just score."

It was a crazy match. Alba Redondo hit the post twice.

There were two VAR checks.

It was a hard-fought match.

In the first half, I got hit in the face.

And there's nothing I hate more than having to ask for a sub.

Jorge called me over to sub in.

I was so nervous.

I went onto the field…

She shoots… Spain gets a penalty kick!

Good call, Frappart!

Spain gets a PK!

Mariona shoots…

I remember screaming at the top of my lungs

to celebrate Mariona's goal in the 80th minute.

And I thought there was no way they could lose.

Van der Gragt in the box. She shoots. Netherlands score.

But suddenly, Van der Gragt scored in the 91st minute, in stoppage time.

Wow, what a goal. She placed that perfectly.

"If they score again, we're out."

Janssen moves past the pressure. The ball's played back…

Ivana Andrés clears it.

A game-saving clearance by Real Madrid's center-back.

It was an incredible save. That goal would've changed everything.

I said, "If we survive this,

we'll win it all."

Great pass from Jenni to Salma Paralluelo.

She's pushing into the box, finds space…

-Let's go. -Spain scores!

SPAIN 2 - 1 NETHERLANDS

On to the semis.

Let's go!

Well, as you can see, we were emotional wrecks.

It really hit us

that we were finally getting closer to the goal we'd been fighting to achieve.

Twenty-four hours until the national team's biggest match ever,

the semifinals against Sweden, who Spain has never beaten before.

Updates to the starting 11, Olga Carmona and Alexia Putellas.

Cata Coll will be in goal…

You've been through all kinds of struggles,

the good, the bad, injuries… and now you're here,

facing the greatest challenge and opportunity of your lives.

Who has more heart, us or them?

-Do you remember that pep talk? -Yes.

Honestly, I felt so embarrassed.

Alexia, who fights harder, us or them?

I can't hear you.

-We do. -Come on.

-We do! -We do.

Having the president around every day was new for us.

That's normal for the men's team, but not so much for the women.

-Do you remember what he asked you? -No.

Aitana, who's smarter, us or them?

-We are. -What was that?

-We are! -That's right.

It went in one ear and out the other.

Who has…

bigger ovaries, us or them?

-We do! -Louder, damn it!

-We do! -Okay.

The match begins. Sweden has first possession. The pass…

We knew the World Cup finals were on the line.

The tension, the nerves…

It was a closely contested match.

In the first half, they were really well organized.

-We just couldn't score. -So frustrating.

Sweden shoots!

Rolfö shoots! Great save by Cata Coll, shutting down Sweden's first goal.

It was a clean shot…

Olga Carmona with the great interception.

That gave Laia Codina plenty of time, not taking any risks.

Jennifer Hermoso with the cross. Let's see…

-Nice! -Goal!

Salma Paralluelo scores again!

If we're dreaming, then don't wake us up!

In the 80th minute, another goal from the player from Zaragoza!

"That's it. I mean, they're not going to score on us now."

"There's no way."

Asllani has the ball… Unbelievable. Sweden scores.

"No way. We just scored."

"Extra time again? Down to the wire again?"

With the score tied 1-1 in the final minutes,

it was anyone's game. It could've gone either way.

And I'd say, about a minute later, or on the very next play,

we got a corner kick.

We saw Olga wide open at the edge of the box.

I knew Olga tended to be out on the edge,

and if I could get her the ball, she was always an option.

Olga Carmona lines up the shot. She shoots…

-Goal! -Let's go!

This match has been absolutely epic!

Spain is so close to their first-ever World Cup final.

Well, this one really gave me goose bumps.

As a defender, you don't expect to score a goal in a World Cup.

We brought our off-field connection into the match,

and it got our country into the finals. Imagine how that felt.

We're really close.

We were doubly happy because, honestly, we deserved it after the year we had.

We had really suffered, but it was starting to be worthwhile.

Sarà perché ti amo

We couldn't believe it. We made it to the finals, after the year we had.

We were asking ourselves, "How is that possible?"

Hell yeah!

We did it. We made it to the fucking World Cup finals.

We said to ourselves, "We're the ones that made it."

This team has left me speechless. Let's go!

We were getting to experience what so many players had fought for

and had tried to achieve,

even though the so-called system wouldn't let them.

At that moment, many of those players were at home, on the couch,

and they were able to feel some relief. So, that really touched me.

We are here today.

We all grew up thinking this wasn't our place.

The press conference was the time to speak out,

and many people were listening.

Football is our favorite sport,

and we're tired of watching it from the outside.

It's like we're always asking for things that they think we don't need.

If I'm gonna play, I need to train like they do.

-Do you have to deal with lots of jokes? -Yeah, and pretty awful stuff.

I want to erase that feeling.

I don't want people today, especially girls,

to feel like they're playing a sport that isn't theirs.

WE GREW UP THINKING FOOTBALL WASN'T OUR PLACE

We knew we'd worked hard. We had been waiting for this for years,

waiting for this match for a long time.

You know that opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime.

Holy fucking shit.

Jesus Christ, this is amazing!

-Superstar. -Hey!

Our hard work paid off.

I'd like to talk about Jorge Vilda.

We've been through so much.

It's a shame…

that even his personal life was under scrutiny.

He's an honest, incredibly talented man.

We weren't surprised he said that.

We've rebuilt this team,

keeping the most dedicated players.

Other players deserved to be there.

And the reason why…

still makes me sad.

RUBIALES WAS RIGHT ABOUT VILDA

And that's when they started to steal their thunder.

JORGE VILDA'S WORLD CUP

It became Rubiales's personal victory.

"I created this."

"I invested more in women's football."

"I kept Jorge Vilda on

when four spoiled brats were demanding I fire him."

In his mind, the two of them had been challenged,

so Vilda's win became his as well.

It was their way of saying they'd won.

Spain had forgotten about many of us players who had fought

for all the improvements that were made.

It was tough. To be so close, yet so far. That's a hard pill to swallow.

I'd been on the team for a long time, dreaming of that moment.

Instead, I was at home.

Not because I chose to be,

but because I was standing up for something I believed in.

Period.

It fucking sucked.

Did you watch the matches?

No.

No, I mean…

No, because…

it wouldn't have done me any good.

Many players who deserved to be at the World Cup were not

because they were fighting their fight.

Key figures in Spanish football, like Sandra Paños,

the starting goalkeeper for the national team.

She had won the Champions League.

She did send in the letter to be considered for call-ups again,

but Jorge Vilda decided not to call her.

That was how his ego

and his desire to get back at The 15 manifested itself.

I sent the email stating I wanted to play in the World Cup, despite my beliefs,

because, professionally, it could've been my last World Cup.

Did you get a reply?

No.

Not even confirming receipt?

No.

-Hey! -Hey.

-What's up? -I'm good, you?

I'm great.

Hey there!

-I already asked her for a drink. -Right on time.

-How are you? -Hi.

It's been so long.

-It feels like an eternity. -I haven't seen you since the World Cup.

Perfect timing.

Perfect timing. You get to cut the onion.

How are you all?

-How's Mexico? -Honestly, it's great.

-Yeah? Are you happy? -Really happy.

Those people really know we won the World Cup.

Did they help you forget what you went through?

People thank me.

They keep congratulating me on being a world champion.

Sometimes, I say to myself,

"Holy shit. I'm a fucking world champion."

But that only lasts a split second

'cause I can't really relive… that moment.

We're back in this stadium in Australia

to cheer on and share this moment with the Spanish national team.

An entire nation is rooting for them.

Giant screens were set up in several cities.

On August 20th, people put their lives on hold. In Spain.

People on vacation, at the beach…

I woke up, feeling like I had a match to play in.

It was amazing. The stadium was packed.

Spain!

England was the ideal opponent.

We'd faced them at the start of that very hard year.

We wanted a rematch.

Thirteen months ago, we cried after losing to England at the Euros.

Today we want to smile…

I remember the tunnel felt like it went on forever.

Longest tunnel ever.

When the ref blew the whistle and it started, I thought, "Finally."

Spain's doing well. So far, everything's under control.

We were playing great from the start.

They hit the crossbar once.

She shoots… Off the crossbar.

I thought, "Another sign."

We were putting pressure on England, but we needed a goal.

That was so close.

Irene…

Nice cross to Salma…

Alba Redondo almost scored Spain's first goal.

I was about to scream "Goal!"

Alba Redondo came charging dangerously towards goal…

-Long ball from Spain's keeper. -Great ball from Tere to Mariona.

Olga makes a run…

When Mariona gets the ball in that zone, something's bound to happen.

-Here comes Olga. -Cross it!

She held the ball for a second or two before passing it to me.

It felt like slow-motion.

I kept thinking, "Please go in."

Spain scores!

Olga does it again!

The whole country is celebrating with you!

That was the most important goal I've ever scored.

I was just trying to catch up to her, but she kept running. She wouldn't stop.

I thought, "Awesome… But we need to score at least two more."

When England started getting closer and we were still up 1-0…

"Please don't score…"

This is the World Cup finals, so it can't be easy.

Penalty! It's a penalty for Spain!

Penalty for Spain!

And we thought, "Wow, if she scores, it'll be 2-0."

That's how you crush them mentally.

The eyes of the nation are on Jenni Hermoso's feet.

It's the 67th minute of the World Cup finals.

Spain 1, England 0.

Here we go. Jenni steps up to take it…

It's fine. Spain is still in the lead.

Oh, man…

That would've been too easy.

James crosses it…

Cata Coll saves it!

It was torture.

-Here's Ona Batlle-- -Blow the whistle already!

They had a corner kick.

-The keeper comes upfield. -No way.

The game has to be over. This can't be real.

They took the corner, and I saw Cata.

She raised her hands, jumped, caught the ball, and fell to the ground.

Cata Coll catches it!

I heard the sound…

That's it!

It's a dream come true for the whole country!

When I heard the whistle…

This is history.

It was like…

The women's national team finally has a star…

"This is huge."

Insane.

I could watch that all day.

At times, I was happy, but I also thought,

"Why'd you have to win, bitches?" Excuse me. But…

But that's how it felt. It was an emotional rollercoaster.

Well, incredible, right?

I get goose bumps.

Thank you, girls. Thank you, Spain.

We are world champions. Spain 1…

I couldn't believe it.

It was incredible. I mean… unbelievable.

I couldn't even feel myself. I wasn't floating. I was just gone.

We're world champions.

After all those years watching the men's team,

today, finally, these women are world champions.

"We did it."

World-fucking-champions!

The whole fucking world!

Yes!

Each of us came from different places,

everyone with their own struggles, and we came together to win a World Cup.

It was beautiful. We really deserved it.

I think I felt…

It was so cathartic. I started crying, and all I could do was hug everyone.

That's how spent I was. That's all I could do.

Look. Do you remember this?

-The one with Irene. -That's a dope photo.

Look at you…

I was a mess, covered in snot.

-Crying. -Wiping your nose.

You're gonna make me cry.

We managed to make history, despite the year we had

and all that stress.

And…

it symbolized the whole saga.

Girl…

Remember the pic she posted? The caption was "Third time's the charm."

As if we'd had other opportunities…

As if we'd gotten that far before…

We've fought for every ball on and off the field.

We knew that if one of us fell, the other two would be there

to pick her back up, like "No, keep going."

I'll never forget what we achieved, especially because of them.

I think we became champions so that we could finally be heard…

Their act was over, and the masks came off.

That's when Jorge Vilda was Jorge Vilda,

and Luis Rubiales was Luis Rubiales, once again.

He was in the presence of the queen and princess, the royal family.

And he was president of a national organization.

At the biggest sporting event ever,

he grabbed his balls, in front of them.

He was in the VIP box because he represented our country.

That look between Jorge Vilda and Luis Rubiales sums up

everything those players endured behind the scenes.

That look meant, "We won this."

He was the world champion.

I couldn't believe it.

As a country, we weren't projecting an image of us as world champions.

Instead, we projected utter…

INTEGRITY VP 2018-2020

…moral indignity.

…right before going onstage to receive the trophy.

I saw that and was like…

I saw him on the field and thought, "Why is he carrying her?"

I didn't even realize Rubiales kissed me.

It's in that video… Well, I didn't even notice.

Look at how they're hugging the president of the federation.

I remember he was completely ecstatic,

but, I mean, who wouldn't be?

Jennifer Hermoso said she wanted to win a World Cup before retiring.

She wanted a championship with the national team…

-Whoa! -He kissed her.

-Was that a peck? -Yeah, he kissed Jenni Hermoso.

-I think Jenni kissed him. -No, Rubi kissed her. He just grabbed her.

-It was no big deal. -It was just lips. No tongue, Christ.

Just good vibes, happiness, sheer joy…

I was completely taken aback. I couldn't…

My girlfriend and I thought it was odd.

So we got on social media to see what people had to say.

He's her boss. What could she have done?

Slap the president of the federation?

In the studio,

we were all like, "Did that really just happen?"

I could see that it was starting to snowball on social media

among people in Spain.

We were in disbelief.

…the captain of the Spanish team lifts the trophy into the Sydney sky.

For the first time in history, Spain are world champions!

I remember Jenni said, "Girl," and I turned and looked at her.

She looked worried.

"What?" I said. She responded, "Rubiales just kissed me."

I was like, "What? Oh, come on."

And since she's always joking around, I thought she was messing with me.

She told us, but I didn't understand.

Like, "He kissed me."

We were like, "What?"

She kept bringing it up,

hoping that someone would tell her, "it's fine" or "that is not okay."

Anyway, we kept on celebrating. We were blasting music…

It was wild in there. We were all doing our own thing in the locker room.

We were in a state of absolute euphoria.

Until the adrenaline wore off, everything seemed like a joke.

It was all laughs.

People were like, "What happened? Whoa, what?"

"There was a kiss."

Who kissed?

Let me see…

I didn't like it though!

I think she felt uncomfortable. She said she didn't like it right away.

-What did you do, girl? -What did I do? Seriously?

And the president had just told us

that the federation would fly whoever wanted to go to Ibiza.

People were joking around, like, "Let's have a wedding."

Joking about…

They even made Jenni stand next to him.

Wedding bells!

Let's go!

I was so confused. We were celebrating. What was he doing there…? I don't know.

Now, I can see he was trying to defuse the situation.

At the time, it was hard to react and say, "Stop."

First, because he was our boss.

And second, because we were in such an emotional state…

Jenn, say hi. I'm live.

Let's go!

All of us journalists gathered outside the hotel.

The atmosphere was celebratory.

I said, "Luis, President, please."

So he came over, put in the earpiece, and I held the mic in front of him.

Hey, Juanma. How's it going?

Are you aware of all the fuss over that kiss?

-I don't have time for this bullshit. -Sure.

After all I've been through,

I'm tired of these dumbasses and their nonsense.

Let's just celebrate the good stuff.

I think my jaw was on the floor during that entire interview.

Look, idiots will be idiots. I'm done.

And they got on the bus…

No way, girl.

We are the champions!

We women are the champions.

People were recording.

Rubiales would come over, say something, and then walk away.

My teammates were joking around…

Kiss!

Then Irene shouted,

"Girls, stop. This is serious."

"He kissed her because he thinks he's above her."

No one said anything after that.

We started to understand what was really going on.

-He grabbed me like this… -You can see it here.

Why was the bus footage leaked? What was the goal?

Do I really need to explain?

Oh, my God.

They were pushing the narrative of the "perfect victim."

That was the twisted motive behind leaking the footage

of the post-match celebrations.

"See? She's laughing. She can't be that upset."

Asking victims to behave a certain way is another way of revictimizing them.

Why shouldn't I smile? Why shouldn't I live my life?

Can't I keep on living after someone hurt me?

They wanted to portray me like,

"Look how happy she is. She's smiling. Clearly, she's fine."

It was like…

-What did they expect? -Exactly.

Before boarding,

Jenni told me they were pressuring her to issue a statement, defending Rubiales.

But she had made up her mind. She said, "Why would I do that?"

"I'm not signing anything or making statements."

"But I'm freaked out because they won't leave me alone."

"It was mutual and spontaneous. We were caught up in the excitement."

Jenni told me, "That's a lie. They're making it all up."

"It was a natural display of gratitude and affection."

It's not normal for a PR department

to try to issue a statement

saying a player said something that they did not say

and claiming that the player gave them permission to publish her opinion.

Every time I approached Jenni on the plane,

at least three or four people from the federation would come over.

It was really tense and unpleasant.

I vividly remember people going to and from

where Rubiales was sitting.

They kept asking him to come out and apologize.

It seems like there's been some uproar.

If anyone feels hurt by what happened,

then I have to apologize. That's all.

I told him, "That's hardly an apology."

If the video had gone on any longer,

it would've seemed like Jenni had to apologize.

We didn't understand. We thought it was normal, natural.

Regardless, it happened. I think it was entirely spontaneous…

A good PR strategy would've changed things.

But who would've had the guts to tell him? You have to think about your role in this.

Otherwise, you're complicit in what's going on.

The entire institution was only thinking about him.

Nobody was thinking about Jenni.

Jenni broke down in tears.

She started to realize what was going on. We were almost home.

She seemed worried and scared.

The flight attendants were the ones that fired us up,

and that's when we started celebrating again on the plane.

But I also started feeling anxious

because the federation's PR person came over and suggested I make a video

about how well the federation had treated us.

I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

They asked me to talk to all the news outlets

to defuse the situation, refute what people were saying,

and make it seem like it was no big deal.

I remember this conversation Jenni, Rubiales, and I had.

I was shocked.

He told us he was seeing someone

and that she, well… that he had spoken to her

and that she said the kiss didn't bother her.

She just wanted them to make that video.

"I want to clear my name at any cost."

"I'll use Jenni, her family, the captains…"

And they tried everything.

You had to do what they were asking.

"If you do me this favor, then…" The idea was you'd be set for life.

If we didn't give in, they'd keep hounding us.

But what had happened was too important.

In the past few hours, more people have spoken out.

Luis Rubiales must pay for what he did.

The president's behavior was unacceptable…

The federation is an entity that the government delegated powers to.

Therefore, they can't just do whatever they want.

They told me they opened an investigation and were examining the facts.

We thought it was normal, natural…

What was the problem?

The people that had to decide whether to sanction Rubiales were

part of the federation.

So, the result of this swift internal investigation was…

A MOMENT OF JOY AND EUPHORIA

…just a report that completely exonerated Rubiales

in this matter.

They basically said, "whatever it takes."

The goal was to treat this as no big deal, so they were going to stop at nothing

to do so.

Every political party is against Luis Rubiales…

It's a disgrace that this has tarnished such an important achievement…

What we witnessed at the finals was an absolute disgrace.

Mr. Rubiales's apology was insufficient.

He must resign.

FIFA opened an investigation this morning.

This time, he has no choice.

We were all anxious to see what Rubiales was going to do.

He told his team he was going to resign. That was leaked.

RESIGNING TODAY

Then he convened the general assembly…

so he could wipe the slate clean.

Well.

Good morning

to all assemblymen and assemblywomen.

I was relaxed, on vacation.

I was so checked out

that I didn't even bother to watch the meeting.

I thought he'd admit his mistake, and that would be the end of it.

I grabbed my phone

and went through my texts. "Are you watching this?"

We've been through so much, Jorge. So much…

I didn't get to relax at all. I never got to unplug.

We've really struggled.

We've put up with a lot.

I was with my grandparents. We turned on the TV and couldn't believe it.

The kiss. The peck. It was more of a peck than a kiss.

It was spontaneous, mutual,

celebratory, and consensual. That last part is key.

His lies, attitude, how he defended himself and attacked Jenni…

She lifted me off the ground.

She picked me up and drew me in close.

I was like, "What is going on?"

I told her, "Forget about the penalty kick."

She responded, "You're the best."

I said,

"How about a peck?" She responded, "Okay."

I felt so uncomfortable.

I am telling the truth here.

Girls, learn from this. It's a life lesson.

You are the real feminists, not like those fake ones out there.

I don't know if he was attacking us, but I thought it was hate speech.

People there knew the truth,

but they clapped just to protect themselves.

People were paying for favors with their presence.

They'd been told, "You got the job because I wanted you here."

I heard that exact phrase the day I quit.

"Don't forget I got you this job."

Jorge and Montse were clapping. They were selling out their players again.

I'd like to make a surprise announcement. Forgive me, Jorge.

I'd like you to stay for four more years and earn half a million euros a year.

"I'm the one in charge here."

He was flouting all the rules that he had bragged about creating

to make the federation transparent.

It turns out he was the federation.

Do you think I should resign?

Well, let me tell you something. I will not resign.

I will not resign.

I will not resign.

I will not resign.

I will not resign.

At that point, I felt outraged.

…to go all the way. If you know me, you know I'll fight to the end.

I kept getting angrier.

I texted Jenni. I said,

"Are you still hoarse?" You replied, "No, girl, it's from crying."

I was stunned.

I was like, "Wow. What is happening?"

I couldn't articulate to you or anyone else

how I felt at the time.

"Don't say a word." "This isn't over."

-Scarier threats. -Scarier.

It got to the point where I couldn't go outside…

without looking over my shoulder.

Jenni said, "I don't know how, but I will do whatever it takes to prove

that the truth is what I felt, not what he's saying in that meeting."

I told her, "I'm here for whatever you need."

So much happened…

Are you gonna ask about the tweet?

"This is unacceptable. It's all over. I stand with you, my teammate."

Enough was enough. We were fed up.

SENT

I saw that tweet and said to myself,

"We're all going to do the same thing." So I tweeted with the hashtag #SeAcabó.

When the time came, everyone spoke out.

It was crystal clear.

We truly were fed up. We'd had enough.

Tons of meetings

and phone calls.

Lots of stress.

We really needed to figure out

what our unified message would be.

It was a global message.

It could've happened to any woman, so we needed to stand together.

THE 15

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE WE NEED TO SUPPORT JENNI

"We all have to stand together this time,

to help and protect her, and make sure this never happens again."

It was unacceptable.

WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING

When your teammate is assaulted,

I don't think there's any question that you have to support her.

Then I called Verónica Boquete and said, "Jenni is going to issue a statement."

"Create a 2015 World Cup group for your team

and get everyone to sign the statement." She said, "Okay."

It evolved into contacting everyone,

anyone that ever played for the women's national team.

To prevent another leak, we didn't send the document. We had to read it aloud.

We called each player

and read them the draft.

"…firmly and resoundingly condemn the behavior…"

We were all making calls.

"In response to statements…"

"…we firmly deny…"

We didn't trust anyone or anything.

We even thought our phones could've been hacked.

We asked someone to take a look.

They said one was compromised, and a different hack had failed.

At that point, I was scared.

Then I thought about Jenni and realized,

"If this is how we feel, what must she be going through?"

We had to stand firm.

This time, no one could leave the table

and say, "Now this is getting to be too much."

No. We had to hold our ground.

We were obviously afraid of never playing on the team again,

but this was bigger than any fear.

We didn't care if it meant sacrificing

qualifying for the Olympics or risking our careers.

The veteran players were constantly reassuring us,

telling us they would take the heat.

"We're a team. We're not gonna screw each other over."

I don't know why, but I wasn't scared anymore.

The path was clear.

SEND

We made it abundantly clear

that there were things that we would no longer tolerate.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

"The players of the national team, recent World Cup champions,

in support of Jennifer Hermoso,

firmly and resoundingly condemn

the behavior that has threatened the dignity of women."

"No woman should ever have to feel the need to speak out

against the shocking images we all saw."

"We are deeply saddened that such a deplorable act

has tarnished

the greatest achievement of Spanish women's football."

"All the players that sign hereinafter will never return to the national team

as long as the current leadership remains in place."

"Signed:

Jennifer Hermoso, Alexia Putellas,

Misa Rodríguez, Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle…"

When it was published, it made the news around the world.

It's all over…

IT'S ALL OVER

It's still making global headlines.

Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football…

The controversy surrounding Luis Rubiales just keeps growing.

Everyone's talking about it. Everyone condemns what Rubiales did.

We've had enough. Women will no longer be silent…

In the film industry, we're fed up too.

We were sending a message to women all over the world.

I won't say it was bigger than winning the World Cup

because that's what triggered everything,

for better or worse,

but it's the most powerful thing that's happened in a long time.

WE'RE WITH YOU, JENNI

REMOVE RUBIALES

Step down, Rubiales!

We were sick and tired of the Spain we don't like.

And the…

We really wanted to bring about

generational change and a shift in mindset,

but we thought it was never going to happen.

Well, it's here now, and it's all thanks to football.

Despite the fact so many people said it was no big deal,

look at what happened.

The Spanish Football Federation has removed Jorge Vilda as head coach.

VILDA CHARGED WITH COERCION

He went from a huge win to getting fired and facing serious accusations.

Jenni Hermoso filed a complaint with state prosecutors

against Luis Rubiales for the nonconsensual kiss…

What gave me strength was

seeing all my teammates and players around the world take a stand.

And that, honestly…

I think it gave me a kind of superpower to face everything and keep fighting.

Here comes Rubiales.

Luis, are you worried? How do you feel?

Rubiales went from "I will not resign" to "I will resign."

Last night, he issued a statement to that effect, reiterating…

This has set a precedent

and has given strength to so many women.

"It's always been like that" is no longer an excuse because things have changed.

That's why many people are furious.

ASSAULT AND COERCION CHARGES FILED AGAINST RUBIALES

Why did I do it? It was the right thing to do,

to prevent all the other things that so many women have endured

from escalating into something even worse.

It wasn't just about Vilda or Rubiales.

Many people were protecting each other.

…just a few hours ago. His dismissal has been confirmed.

A key figure in Rubiales's circle, Andreu Camps, is gone.

The head of the Integrity Office, Miguel García Caba, is out.

Albert Luque has been fired…

We were calling for structural change. The system couldn't stay the same.

It had reached a breaking point and…

there was no turning back.

And then there was peace in women's football.

Today, in Madrid, all parties have come together,

the federation, the CSD, and the players, to agree on changes to the women's team.

Any grudges or differences that we had completely disappeared,

and I think that's what made us strong.

We'd just won the World Cup.

If we all keep working together, we'll achieve great things.

I trust that these agreements will ensure

that women's sports, and by extension, society,

will be much better.

Now we really are united,

and we can accomplish something even more important

than what we did a few days ago.

Is the water nice and warm?

We need to keep fighting for future generations.

We still don't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

There is a long road ahead, but we have so much support…

I think everything that happened justified the rebellion of the "whiny brats."

But, more than anything else, it proved that they were right.

The fact that we all came together…

that you all, because at the end of the day…

maybe many other people…

You went through all of it. We all did.

All of it.

For better or worse, we've been here from the start. They treated us like shit.

That's literally how we felt.

Then we became world champions,

but we had to endure something we never thought we'd have to go through.

And we're still here.

That's what I'm most proud of.

I'm happy we won the World Cup,

but I'm so proud

of how we handled everything, how well you handled it,

and how much people respect us now.

And I feel so blessed that we did it all together.

Cheers to that.

-To you all. -To more victories.

On the night of August 20th, 2023,

we didn't just become champions for a trophy in a display case.

We became world champions because it was the only way

to make ourselves heard, respected, and valued.

My national team changed how many people see women's football.

I am sure

that millions of girls around the world feel validated and supported

by these brave, committed, and honorable players.

These women thought of their futures every step of the way.

So much has happened since then,

and, unfortunately, we had to endure hardships during a historic moment.

But I know we have to set an example for future generations.

When I started playing football, I had no female role models.

But you're lucky enough to have Alexia, Jenni…

We need to be role models

for girls around the world. They need to feel seen.

We need to inspire them…

-How's it going? -Take it easy!

…motivate them,

and teach them to never give up and to keep pushing forward.

I've always followed you and the other players.

Girls around the world no longer just want to be

like Beckham, Mbappé, or Cristiano Ronaldo.

It's so cool because it's always just been the boys.

They want to be like Alexia Putellas,

Ada Hegerberg, Pernille Harder, or Alexandra Popp.

The next Aitana Bonmatí is out there.

One, two, three, team!

They want to shine, and we must give them that chance.

And I'm here to tell you all that enough is enough.

I'm Jenni Hermoso, a football player,

and I'm that girl that became a world champion.

Thank you so much.

IT'S ALL OVER: THE KISS THAT CHANGED SPANISH FOOTBALL

Subtitle translation by: Tom Sullivan