Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales, who was at the center of controversy for forcibly kissing a World Cup-winning female player, has been suspended for three years.
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced today (Aug. 20) that it has suspended Rubiales for three years for forcibly kissing Spain international Yeni Hermoso without her consent after the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee found that Rubiales violated Article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Regulations and banned him from all football-related activities at national and international level for three years.
Rubiales was banned for 90 days after “forcibly kissing” Hermoso on the victory podium.
Rubiales was presenting the Spanish athletes with their medals during a live televised ceremony and engaged in excessive displays of affection, including kisses on the cheeks and hugs. During the hug, he grabbed Hermoso by the hair and kissed her on the lips.
Later in the locker room, a video of Hermoso smiling and saying she “didn’t feel good” when asked about the incident during a live Instagram broadcast was shared on social media, including X’s old Twitter account. Soccer fans around the world criticized him.
In the midst of all of this, Rubiales came under fire again for his behavior when he joked that he would be giving the players a trip to Ibiza as a reward for winning the World Cup, joking that it would be an opportunity to celebrate the wedding of Jenny and Luis Rubiales.
During the live televised awards ceremony, Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, presented the Spanish players with their medals on the podium and engaged in excessive displays of affection, including kisses on the cheek and hugs, most notably grabbing Hermoso by the hair and kissing her on the lips. Later in the locker room, a video of Hermoso smiling and saying she “didn’t feel good” when asked about the incident during a live Instagram broadcast was shared on social media, including X’s old Twitter account. Soccer fans around the world criticized him.
In the midst of all this, Rubiales came under fire for making light of his behavior when he joked that the players would receive a trip to Ibiza as a reward for winning the World Cup, saying it would be a chance to celebrate Jenny and Luis Rubiales’ wedding.
“I made a mistake,” Rubiales said in a video sent to the media by the Spanish Football Federation, “I was overwhelmed with emotion at the time. I didn’t have any bad intentions,” he apologized in a video sent to the media. “Outside, it had a big impact, because 스포츠토토 it hurt a lot of people’s feelings,” he said, “and for that I have to apologize. I will learn from this and be reminded to act carefully as the head of an organization.”
Rubiales and Hermoso have since clashed over whether the kiss was consensual. Rubiales’ mother made an emotional appeal, saying “don’t label him a sexual predator.
FIFA reached its conclusion about two months after the incident. Rubiales will not be able to return to soccer until the end of 2026.