Luis Rubiales, the former Spanish soccer federation president, was found guilty on Thursday of sexually assaulting a female player when he kissed her without her consent following the team’s Women’s World Cup victory in 2023.
Spain’s High Court ordered Rubiales to pay a fine of around $10,400 and acquitted him of coercion charges, according to Reuters. He was also restricted from going within 200 meters of the soccer player and communicating with her for one year.
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The former president of Spain’s soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, sits in a courtroom on the outskirts of Madrid on Monday Feb. 3, 2025. (Chema Moya, Pool photo via AP, File)
Jenni Hermoso accused Rubiales of kissing her without her consent as Spain celebrated the team’s win over England. Through the trial, Rubiales maintained the kiss was consensual.
Hermoso said earlier this month that the moment “stained one of the happiest days of my life.”
Rubiales was pressured out of his post as Spain’s soccer president in 2023, resigning while being banned by FIFA for three years despite an initial press conference where he reiterated that he would not be stepping down. Rubiales said in that speech that he was a victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
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Then-President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales kisses Jennifer Hermoso of Spain during the medal ceremony of FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on Aug. 20, 2023 in Sydney. (Noemi Llamas/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Since the incident, Hermoso said she has had trouble escaping the spotlight, especially in Mexico, where she plays for her club team in between her duties for her country.
Former Spain women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, former sports director of Spain’s men’s national team, Albert Luque, and the soccer federation’s former head of marketing, Rubén Rivera, are also on trial for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to defend Rubiales publicly after the incident.
They were found not guilty, according to Reuters.
Then-president of the Spanish soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, speaks during an emergency general assembly meeting in Las Rozas, Friday Aug. 25, 2023. (Real Federación Española de Fútbol/Europa Press via AP)
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Hermoso and prosecutors sought a jail sentence for Rubiales.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
