FIFA has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, from all soccer-related activities for three years after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s World Cup win in August.
FIFA's disciplinary committee found Rubiales breached the federation's disciplinary code and banned him from all national and international activities for three years, the federation said in a statement Oct. 30.
"FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld," the federation said.
Rubiales has been notified of the committee's decision, according to FIFA, and he has 10 days to request a "motivated decision," which would become subject to a possible appeal before the committee.
Rubiales did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TODAY.com.
Here’s everything to know about what led up to Rubiales’ three-year ban.
FIFA previously suspended Rubiales for 90 days
The ban comes more than two months after FIFA announced that Rubiales was provisionally suspended “from all football-related activities at national and international level” for 90 days.
According to the Aug. 26 statement, Rubiales had been informed of the “decision adopted by the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.”
In addition to the president’s suspension, FIFA said that Rubiales and officials from the Royal Spanish Football Federation were ordered not to contact Hermoso or anyone who is close to her.
Hermoso said in a statement on Aug. 25 that the kiss was nonconsensual, and she felt “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression.”
Why was Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales banned?
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips in August while passing out gold medals to the team, following Spain’s 1-0 victory over England in the final match of the World Cup.
In the locker room afterward, Hermoso expressed that she “didn’t like” the kiss, Reuters reported.
The kiss received swift backlash in Spain, including criticism from government ministers. Rubiales initially denounced the criticism, according to Radio Marca. However, he later went on to release an apology where he expressed that he “regretted his actions” and said there was “no bad intention.”
After her initial comments about the kiss on social media, the federation shared a statement attributed to Hermoso that described the kiss as a “mutual gesture,” explaining it was “totally spontaneous” and “prompted by the huge joy of winning a World Cup.”
“The ‘presi’ and I have a great relationship, his behavior with all of us has always been 10 (out of 10) and this was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude,” the statement continued.
When Hermoso was asked about the incident again on Spain’s COPE Radio station, she said, “I wish they created (controversy) involving someone else, I’m a world champion and that’s what matters.”
When did Luis Rubiales step down?
The kiss sparked widespread criticism for Rubiales, and FIFA opened an investigation into his actions on Aug. 24.
Rubiales announced Sept. 10 he would step down as president of Spain’s soccer federation.
According to a clip posted by "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Rubiales told the British journalist he consulted with his father, his daughters and his friends about the decision, and said he decided to resign because of the scandal’s impact on other people in his life.
Rubiales initially refused to resign from his position, and he told the emergency general assembly of the federation that he was a victim of a hunt led by “false feminists” on Aug. 25. Rubiales said that the kiss was “mutual and with consent."
At the assembly, he was met with applause from those in the room, with attendees including Jorge Vilda, Spain's women’s national team coach, and Luis de la Fuente, the men’s national team coach.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation fired Vilda two weeks after the team's World Cup win on Sept. 5, and announced Montse Tomé would be replacing Vilda as head coach, making her the first woman to lead the national women’s team.
On Aug. 26, shortly before Rubiales' suspension was announced, Spain's soccer federation came to its president's defense.
The federation said Rubiales “has stated that he will legally defend himself in the competent bodies, he fully trusts the FIFA instances and reiterates that, in this way, he is given the opportunity to begin his defense so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven.”
Pedro Rocha Junco, the vice president of the federation, served as the interim president, according to the federation.
How did Spain’s women’s soccer team respond?
In a statement provided by Spain’s Association of Professional Soccer Players on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hermoso said that she did not consent to the kiss from Rubiales.
She explained in the statement published Aug. 25, “I do not tolerate that my word is questioned and much less that words are invented that I have not said.”
The association also shared that Spain’s women’s soccer team would refuse to play until Rubiales was removed from his position. Eleven of the women's soccer team's staff members also resigned in support of Hermoso.
“It fills us with sadness that such an unacceptable event is managing to tarnish the greatest sporting success of Spanish women’s football,” the association wrote. “After everything that happened during the delivery of medals of the Women’s World Cup, we want to state that all the players who sign this letter will not return to a call of the National Team if the current leaders continue.”