Rubiales was in attendance alongside the Spanish royal family to witness La Roja beat England 1-0 in August’s Sydney final, where an Olga Carmona goal propelled Spain to their first-ever Women’s World Cup triumph.
However, Spain’s historic success has been overshadowed by Rubiales’s antics during the celebrations, as the 46-year-old firstly grabbed his crotch while in proximity to the royal family.
Rubiales proceeded to make his way down to the stage for the trophy presentation, where he personally greeted every player, hugging most of them while lifting forward Jenni Hermoso off the floor and kissing her on the lips.
With Hermoso affirming that the kiss was not consensual, Rubiales faced incessant calls to step down from his post, but the former defender has always maintained that the act of affection was mutual.
Rubiales memorably refused to resign during an outlandish press conference, leading to 81 Spain Women players threatening to boycott matches, including 23 members of their World Cup-winning squad, but he was given a provisional 90-day suspension by FIFA.
Head coach Jorge Vilda was also sacked in the aftermath, prior to which 11 members of the coaching team handed in their resignations, and Rubiales reluctantly stepped down from his post last month.
The former RFEF president recently appeared in court to face accusations of sexual assault and coercion – which he denies – and he was given a restraining order forbidding him from contacting Hermoso or going within 200m of her.
Now, FIFA have suspended Rubiales from all footballing activities for three years for breaching article 13 of their disciplinary code, which relates to “Offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play”.
A statement from the governing body read: “Mr Rubiales has been notified of the terms of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision today. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
“He has 10 days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
“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.”
Rubiales has hinted that he will appeal the decision, writing on social media that he would use the “last resort” to make sure that “the truth shines through”.
