Former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexually assaulting Jenni Hermoso by kissing her without consent after the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.
Spain’s High Court in Madrid ruled against Rubiales, ordering him to pay Hermoso €10,000 (£8,274) and imposing a restraining order preventing him from contacting her or approaching within 200 meters. However, he was acquitted of a separate coercion charge related to the aftermath of the incident.
Rubiales, 47, had denied wrongdoing, claiming the kiss was a spontaneous act of celebration and that Hermoso had consented—an assertion she firmly rejected. The prosecution had sought a prison sentence, but he was instead fined.
The incident occurred after Spain’s 1-0 victory over England in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney in September 2023. During the post-match ceremony, Rubiales grabbed Hermoso’s head with both hands and kissed her on the lips.
Hermoso testified that she “never” consented and said the moment had tainted what should have been one of the happiest days of her life. “I knew I was being kissed by my boss, and that should not happen in any social or work environment,” she told the court.
The case sparked global outrage and overshadowed Spain’s historic World Cup win, drawing widespread attention to issues of consent and power dynamics in professional sports.
