FIFA has banned former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales from the sport for three years for misconduct at the Women’s World Cup final where he forcibly kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the trophy ceremony.
“This case relates to the events that occurred during the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on 20 August 2023, for which Mr Rubiales had been provisionally suspended for an initial period of 90 days,” world football’s governing body said in a statement on Monday.
FIFA did not publish details of the verdict reached by its disciplinary committee judges, who had investigated charges relating to “basic rules of decent conduct” and “behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute”.
Rubiales is also under criminal investigation in Spain for kissing Hermoso after the team’s 1-0 victory over England on August 20 in Sydney, Australia. He denied wrongdoing to a judge in Madrid who imposed a restraining order for Rubiales not to contact Hermoso.
At the final whistle in Sydney, Rubiales had also grabbed his crotch as a victory gesture in the exclusive section of seats with Queen Letizia of Spain and 16-year-old Princess Sofia standing nearby.
Rubiales was removed from office by FIFA judges during their investigation, and they also cited a third incident – “carrying the Spanish player Athenea del Castillo over his shoulder during the post-match celebrations” – in a ruling to explain why he was provisionally suspended.
The risk of witness tampering by Rubiales and his allies was also cited to justify the interim ban that is now confirmed to extend beyond the next men’s World Cup in 2026, being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
