Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has been found guilty of sexual assault for his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s 2023 Women’s World Cup triumph. Spain’s High Court fined him over €10,000 ($11,400) but stopped short of issuing a prison sentence, instead barring him from contacting or approaching Hermoso for one year.
The ruling brings a legal conclusion to a scandal that has overshadowed Spain’s greatest achievement in women’s football. Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso as she received her winner’s medal on August 20, 2023, in Sydney, an act he repeatedly insisted was consensual. Hermoso, backed by her teammates and a global wave of support, maintained from the start that she had never given consent.
Rubiales was not the only one under legal scrutiny. Former Spain women’s coach Jorge Vilda, ex-RFEF sporting director Albert Luque, and former marketing director Rubén Rivera were also on trial, accused of coercing Hermoso into defending Rubiales. However, all three were acquitted, with the court ruling that there was insufficient evidence to convict them. Prosecutors had sought 18-month prison sentences for the trio.
The trial, which lasted two weeks, saw testimonies from Hermoso, her family, her Spain teammates, and multiple RFEF officials. The prosecution painted a picture of systemic pressure placed on Hermoso to align with Rubiales’ version of events, but the court ultimately ruled in favor of the accused on that front.
While Rubiales avoids jail, his conviction marks a watershed moment in sports culture and accountability. The case ignited a global conversation about power dynamics in football, leading to his resignation and broader changes within the Spanish federation.
