FIFA Confirms Three-Year Ban for Rubiales over World Cup Kiss Scandal

FIFA has confirmed that former Spanish football president Luis Rubiales will be banned from the game for three years, after rejecting his appeal.

FIFA in a statement said, “The Appeal Committee was comfortably satisfied that Mr Rubiales behaved in a manner contrary to the principles enshrined under … the FIFA disciplinary code”. 

Rubiales has been in hot water since he kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney in August, for which he is set to face court trial in Spain.

Rubiales denies the kiss was forced and could still appeal his worldwide ban from “football-related activities” by FIFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

FIFA had initially provisionally suspended Rubiales before banning him from the sport for three years in October, which he appealed.

Back home in Spain, Judge Francisco de Jorge of the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s top criminal court, proposed that Rubiales be tried on charges of sexual assault and coercion, concluding that the kiss “was not consensual and was a unilateral and unexpected move”.