By: Kwame Bediako
Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has lost an appeal against his sexual assault conviction related to the 2023 World Cup incident. Rubiales was fined €10,800 (£9,206) in February after he kissed Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony. The appeal court upheld the fine and dismissed a separate plea from prosecutors who sought a retrial and a jail sentence for Rubiales.
The incident, in which Rubiales grabbed Hermoso’s head and kissed her on the lips, sparked widespread protests and calls for his resignation. Rubiales maintained that his actions were an act of spontaneous joy and denied any sexual assault. He described the kiss as an “act of affection,” asserting it was unintentional and not meant to disrespect Hermoso.
On June 25, 2025, the Audiencia Nacional clarified that it did not consider the kiss to be consensual, stating that Hermoso had objected to the gesture from the beginning. The court found that Rubiales had the capacity to restrain himself, noting that he had managed to do so with other players and could have easily done so with Hermoso as well. The court reaffirmed the original sentence, which included a ban preventing Rubiales from approaching within 200 meters of Hermoso and from contacting her for a year.
The court also upheld its decision not to convict Rubiales of coercion, despite prosecutors’ claims that he pressured Hermoso into publicly stating the kiss was consensual. Hermoso stated she had not given permission for the kiss, feeling it disrespected her and tainted a joyful moment. Three other former Spanish Football Federation employees, coach Jorge Vilda, marketing executive Rubén Rivera, and sporting director Albert Luque, were also cleared of coercion.
