Luis Rubiales to go on trial in Spain over Jenni Hermoso kiss at World Cup

Spanish football federation’s former president is accused of sexual assault and coercion over incident in 2023

Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales will go on trial in Madrid on Monday over the unsolicited kiss he planted on the World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, a gesture that stunned millions of TV viewers and unleashed a backlash against sexism in sport.

Rubiales, 47, is accused of sexual assault as well as coercion after allegations that he tried to force Hermoso, 34, into publicly declaring that the kiss, which occurred as she celebrated her team’s victory in the 2023 World Cup in Australia, was consensual.

Topics

Mikaela Shiffrin prioritizes recovery over chasing World Cup win No. 100 in return from ski crash

Mikaela Shiffrin’s pursuit of World Cup win No. 100 isn’t at the top of her priority list on the eve of her return to ski racing two months after a serious crash
ABC News - 3d
Spain warns far right is exploiting anger over climate disasters

Nationalist Vox party has seized on ‘visceral’ public reaction to mishandling of floods, says transport minister
Financial Times - 6d
Shiffrin to return from injury at World Cup event

Mikaela Shiffrin will return from a two-month injury lay-off next week when she races at a World Cup event in France.
Yahoo Sports - Jan. 23
Romário: Brazil need Neymar to win World Cup

Brazil do not have a chance to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup unless Neymar plays, according to the legendary Romário.
ESPN - Jan. 16
Rudy Giuliani’s Florida condo, World Series rings on the line in latest trial

Rudy Giuliani will again square off in court against two Georgia election workers Thursday, this time seeking to keep his Florida condominium and other prized possessions from the women who won a ...
The Hill - Jan. 16
The U.S. has a World Cup problem brewing already

The 2026 World Cup faces challenges as stringent U.S. visa policies and long wait times threaten to hinder global fan attendance.
Yahoo Sports - Jan. 15
Pedri denies Spain boycott over Olmo fiasco

Barcelona midfielder Pedri has denied that the club's players considered boycotting the Spain national team over the row surrounding Dani Olmo's registration.
ESPN - Jan. 12
Four men jailed over brutal homophobic murder in Spain

Men kicked and punched Samuel Luiz, 24, to death outside nightclub in A Coruña in 2021. Four men have been jailed over the homophobic murder of a young gay man whose killing almost four years ago ...
The Guardian - Jan. 8
GB win gold at Bobsleigh World Cup

Great Britain win gold in the four-man event at the IBSF Bobsleigh World Cup in Winterberg, Germany.
BBC News - Jan. 5

More from The Guardian

Trump warns Americans that tariffs may cause ‘pain’– US politics live

US president says measures against Mexico, Canada and China will ‘all be worth the price’. After Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Volkswagen, Germany’s largest carmaker, said that tariffs ...
The Guardian - 22m
Ukraine and Russia blame each other as missile kills at least four in Kursk school

Ukraine armed forces say 84 people were rescued or had medical help after strike in Russian territory that Kyiv holds. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for a deadly missile strike that killed ...
The Guardian - 5h
Exonerated environmental defenders to face murder retrial in El Salvador

Critics decry ‘politically motivated’ decision to revisit civil war-era charges against leaders of anti-mining campaign. Five Salvadorian environmental defenders who were exonerated of bogus civil ...
The Guardian - 3h
Pressure grows on EU to freeze minerals deal with Rwanda over DRC fighting

Belgium leads calls for suspension of agreement after Rwanda-backed rebels captured city of Goma. The EU is under mounting pressure to suspend a controversial minerals deal with Rwanda that has ...
The Guardian - 3h
Syrian leader lands in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit since toppling Assad

Interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives in Riyadh on trip that appears to signal shift away from Iran alliance. Syria’s interim president has made his first trip abroad, travelling to Saudi ...
The Guardian - 4h