On Wednesday, Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), introduced his own NFT, stating that it aimed “to support real equality.”
Rubiales is currently facing charges of sexual assault and coercion in a Madrid court related to his behaviour following the Women’s World Cup final last August.
The charges include his non-consensual kiss of Spain forward Jenni Hermoso. Testimonies have been heard from Hermoso, her teammates, Rubiales, and federation executives, and the investigating judge will now determine whether the case proceeds to trial.
Rubiales shared a statement from The Moon Labs, a South Korean company, on social media on Tuesday.
It said it had “created [a] digital campaign environment for people who support President Luis Rubiales” with “an NFT project to honour Luis Rubiales for his contributions to Spanish and global football.”
“This message is for those who support real equality and not radicalism or media manipulations,” Rubiales posted. “I am very grateful for the support of so many people and I especially want to thank The Moon Labs for their courage.”
On Wednesday, the NFT featuring Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), was launched on the online marketplace OpenSea.
The NFT showcased an image of Rubiales as a child holding a football, with the description highlighting his early years and cheerful personality. At the moment, 40 NFTs had been created, but none had been sold.
The NFT release comes amid Rubiales facing charges of sexual assault and coercion related to his actions following Spain’s Women’s World Cup final win over England in August 2023.
The controversial kiss of Spain forward Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony led to Rubiales’ resignation as RFEF president and a subsequent FIFA ban from football-related activities for three years.
Hermoso filed a formal complaint, initiating an ongoing criminal investigation in Madrid, while Rubiales maintains his innocence.
Hermoso told a Spanish television programme this week that the kiss and its aftermath were “one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life and very hard to deal with.”
She also accused the former Spain manager Jorge Vilda, now coach of Morocco, of controlling behaviour during his time in charge of the national team.