Luis Rubiales, the former head of Spanish football, has been found guilty by a Spanish high court of kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the 2023 Women’s World Cup trophy presentation. He has been ordered to pay a daily fine of €20 for 18 months, totaling €10,800, and is barred from being within 200 meters of Hermoso.
While prosecutors sought a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for sexual assault and alleged coercion of Hermoso to minimize the incident, Rubiales avoided jail time and was acquitted of the coercion charge. His three co-defendants – former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, former men’s national team sports director Albert Luque, and former marketing head Ruben Rivera – were also found not guilty.
Rubiales was accused of sexual assault and coercion related to the kiss and his subsequent attempts to downplay the incident, which sparked global outrage and overshadowed Spain’s World Cup victory. He testified that he was “totally sure” Hermoso consented to the kiss, claiming she hugged him tightly and agreed when he asked if he could kiss her. He described the kiss as an “act of affection” in a unique moment, stating, “You don’t win a World Cup every day.”
During questioning, Rubiales acknowledged kissing male footballers during celebrations, but differentiated the World Cup win from other events. Hermoso, however, testified that she “never” agreed to the kiss and felt “disrespected,” stating it “stained one of the happiest days of my life.”
While maintaining the kiss was neither illegal nor immoral, Rubiales admitted it was a “mistake,” acknowledging his role as federation president and the need for a more institutional approach. He resigned under pressure three weeks after the scandal broke and was subsequently banned by FIFA for three years. He previously claimed to be the victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
The incident ignited a national conversation in Spain about sexism in sports and broader society.
