Where Luis Rubiales is now after disgraced ex-Spain chief's football ban and court case

Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former president of Spain's football federation (RFEF), is nearing the end of his three-year ban from football. The 47-year-old had an appeal against this ban dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in February, and last month, saw his sexual assault conviction upheld.

Spain's victory over England in the Women's World Cup final in 2023 was marred by Rubiales' post-match conduct. Rubiales faced backlash for a series of incidents, including hoisting a player over his shoulder, pecking another on the cheek and kissing the team captain, Hermoso, during the medal ceremony. These actions sparked protests and demands for his resignation, which eventually occurred in September 2023. The incident involving Hermoso was taken to court, and while Rubiales has consistently maintained that the kiss was consensual, he was found guilty of sexual assault on 20th February 2025, and ordered to pay a fine of £9,300.

He was also instructed to maintain a distance of at least 200m from Hermoso and cease all contact with her for one year. Despite appealing both this decision and the ban FIFA imposed on him in October 2023, both were upheld. We delve into Rubiales' case in depth, including what the 47-year-old is doing now and why former captain Hermoso did not make the Euro 2025 Spanish squad.

Where is Luis Rubiales now?

Following his controversial actions, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee handed Rubiales a three-year ban from all football-related activities in October 2023, just a month after he stepped down from the RFEF. Initially handed with a provisional 90-day suspension post-World Cup final fiasco, Rubiales' attempt to overturn the ban was rejected by FIFA's appeal committee. The case escalated to CAS this year, only to be dismissed once more.

Rubiales is now set to serve out his ban until October 2026, having already completed nearly two years, leaving him with 14 months left. He has remained tight-lipped since his appeal against a sexual assault conviction was thrown out by a Spanish court in June.

Luis Rubiales' mother's hunger strike

Rubiales' mother, Angeles Bejar, launched a hunger strike in August 2023 to protest her son's treatment amid mounting pressure for his resignation.

Bejar took refuge in a church in Motril, her southern Spanish hometown, fasting from Monday to Wednesday until hospitalisation became necessary, as confirmed by a local vicar.

She was discharged on the same evening following Rubiales' visit, leaving the hospital at 11:30pm. Bejar had vowed to reporters to persist "indefinitely, day and night" against what she termed an "inhuman and bloody hunt" for her son.

Prosecutors' calls for Luis Rubiales to face prison time

Rubiales was not the only one to challenge his conviction, which saw him found guilty of sexual assault but acquitted of coercion, with allegations that he coerced Hermoso to downplay the post-final kiss.

Prosecutors called for a retrial of the High Court sentencing in March, arguing that Rubiales deserved imprisonment and the initial judge was biased in his favour.

They had demanded that Rubiales face two and a half years in prison, 12 months for sexual assault, and 18 months for alleged coercion. This was dismissed.

Where is Jenni Hermoso now?

After playing for Mexican side Pachuca during the incident in 2023, Hermoso later signed with Tigres UANL in 2024 and remains with the club. With Euro 2025 in full swing, record goalscorer Hermoso was not selected by Spain coach Montse Tome, who said that her absence was due to competition for places.

"We have assessed her performances for Tigres and spoken with her coach, but in her position, we have Patri [Guijarro], Aitana [Bonmati], Alexia [Putellas], Maite [Zubieta], Vicky [Lopez] and even Mariona [Caldentey] or [Claudia] Pina can come in there," said Tome.

"It's hard to pick 23 players, but we do the job professionally and at the end of the day, that is what we have chosen. I spoke with her at the beginning of the year about her situation and we have done the same work with her as with everyone else."