3 years on from the "World Cup kiss": Rubiales free again after the Hermoso scandal
Is he returning to football?
Three years to the day since the moment that shook world football and changed the course of the Spanish game, Luis Rubiales reaches the end of his historic ban. He is free once more to return to any footballing activity after one of the most controversial cases the sport has ever seen.
The date carries a heavy irony. On 20 August, Spain marks the third anniversary of the women's national team winning the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the great achievement delivered under Rubiales's presidency of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. It turned into a nightmare because of his conduct during the celebrations, from the provocative gestures in the VIP box to the infamous kiss of star player Jenni Hermoso.
According to the newspaper "AS", the suspension of the former Spanish Federation president has now reached its final stages. FIFA moved first, imposing a provisional suspension on 26 August 2023 before confirming it for three years on a charge of "offensive behaviour and violating the principles of fair play during the Women's World Cup final". The penalty bars him from any football activity at both national and international level, and it officially expires on the 26th of this month.
FIFA's punishment was not the only one. The Spanish Sports Administrative Court (TAD) issued a separate ruling on 15 November 2023, imposing a suspension of a year and a half over the kiss, and a similar penalty for his behaviour in the private box and his touching of his genitals. That penalty, limited to barring him from holding any position in the national federation, is due to end in November 2026.
Then came the courts. The National Court in San Fernando de Henares hosted a criminal trial that drew wide media attention, ruling that the kiss was not consensual. The court convicted Rubiales of sexual assault, fining him 10,800 euros and ordering him to pay 3,000 euros in civil compensation to the victim. He was acquitted of the coercion charge. His name still appears as a suspect in the "Super Cup case", which remains under consideration.
Rubiales broke his silence during his suspension through his book "Kill Rubiales", in which he defended his position. He recently returned to intensive media appearances to comment on thorny topics, most notably the 2030 World Cup, one of his strongest causes during his presidency, along with national politics and FIFA affairs.
He has insisted in several interviews that his current goal is "to work and earn a living" and that he does not intend to return to the world of football for now. Yet the legal door stands open once again, and the final decision rests in his hands.
