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.

Luis Rubiales, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, hugging Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup final match in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.Credit…Hannah Mckay/Reuters
Luis Rubiales smiles widely while embracing Jennifer Hermoso.

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 beating England, 1-0, to capture its first World Cup trophy on Sunday.