Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting footballer Jenni Hermoso by kissing her on the lips without her consent following Spain’s victory at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

While Rubiales was acquitted of attempting to coerce Hermoso into downplaying the incident, he has been ordered to pay fines and compensation totaling over €13,000 (£10,800), prohibited from approaching within 200 meters of Hermoso for a year, and barred from contacting her for 12 months.

The incident, which occurred during the trophy celebration in Sydney, sparked widespread outrage and ignited a global conversation about sexism and consent.

Hermoso, who faced death threats in the aftermath, maintained that the kiss was neither solicited nor consensual. Rubiales, 47, resigned from his position shortly after the controversy erupted but continued to claim the kiss was mutual, stating in court, “I am absolutely sure that she gave me her permission. In that moment, it was something completely spontaneous.”

However, Judge José Manuel Clemente Fernández-Prieto ruled that Rubiales had “grabbed the player’s head with both hands and, then, in a sudden manner and without her consent and acceptance, kissed her on the lips.”

The judge emphasized that the act had a “clear sexual connotation” and was not an appropriate form of greeting, especially given that Rubiales had congratulated other team members with hugs or cheek kisses.

The court also cleared three other individuals—former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, former sporting director Albert Luque, and former marketing chief Rubén Rivera—of charges that they pressured Hermoso to justify the kiss as consensual.

Rubiales has 10 days to appeal the verdict. The case has left a lasting impact, overshadowing Spain’s World Cup triumph and highlighting ongoing issues of gender inequality and power dynamics in sports.

Jenni Hermoso Testifies in Court: “I Never Consented to the Kiss” as Rubiales Admits “Mistake”

On the first day of the trial, Jenni Hermoso was unequivocal in her testimony, stating that she had never consented to being kissed by former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales and that he had not sought her permission.

“I felt it was totally out of place, and then I realized my boss was kissing me. This shouldn’t happen in any social or workplace setting,” Hermoso told the court.

“I felt disrespected. One of the happiest days of my life was tarnished, and I think it’s very important for me to say that I never sought, much less expected, that this would happen. I think personally that it was a lack of respect.”

Hermoso described how the incident and its aftermath had upended her life and deeply affected her family.

“Obviously, even today, I say that my life changed at that moment,” she said. “I’d spent years fighting to win titles for my team, like the World Cup, but all that’s happened to me means that I just haven’t been able to enjoy any of it from the moment I set foot back in Madrid.

I’m a world champion, but it seems that even to this day my life has been on standby. I honestly haven’t been able to live freely.”

In his testimony, Rubiales acknowledged that he had made an “error of judgment” but continued to insist the kiss was consensual. “It’s obvious now that I made a mistake,” he said. “It was spontaneous.

I behaved like a sportsperson, like I was one more member of the team. I should have been more cold-blooded and adopted a more institutional role.”

Rubiales denied allegations that he tried to coerce Hermoso into downplaying the incident, claiming he had only suggested a joint statement to ease tensions. Hermoso refused, but the federation released a statement on her behalf without her approval.

The player said the statement made her feel “that I was participating in something I hadn’t done and in which I didn’t want to participate.”

The court also heard from Hermoso’s brother, Rafael, who testified that former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda had asked him on the flight back from Australia to “convince” his sister to record a video with Rubiales to show she was not bothered by the kiss.

“The last thing Mr. Vilda said to me was that we should bear in mind the professional and personal consequences that all this could have for my sister,” Rafael added.

Hermoso’s teammate Misa Rodríguez also testified, stating that the striker was “under a lot of pressure” and “started crying” shortly after Rubiales spoke to her on the plane.

The incident, which occurred during Spain’s World Cup victory celebrations in Sydney, sparked global outrage. Rubiales initially dismissed critics as “idiots and stupid people” and refused to resign, even delivering a defiant speech to the federation in which he declared “I will not resign” five times and criticized “false feminism.”

However, mounting pressure—including his suspension by FIFA and widespread condemnation—led to his eventual resignation.

The controversy also resulted in Vilda’s dismissal, despite his earlier support for Rubiales. The case has become a focal point in discussions about sexism, power dynamics, and consent in sports, leaving a lasting impact on Hermoso and overshadowing Spain’s historic World Cup win.