Former Spanish football president Luis Rubiales has launched an NFT collection apparently aimed at supporting ‘real equality’ just months after he was accused of sexual assault at the Women’s World Cup.
Rubiales came under fire after appearing to grab and kiss Spanish player Jenni Hermoso following the country’s success in the tournament’s final in Australia. He claims the kiss was consensual, however, Hermoso claims this isn’t the case.
Hermoso reportedly filed an official complaint and Spanish state prosecutors have subsequently accused Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion after he allegedly pressured her into defending him amid the global backlash.
Now, Rubiales has launched his own NFT collection alongside Korean web3 firm Moon Labs. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rubiales said, “This message is for those who support real equality and not radicalism or media manipulations.”
According to OpenSea, “This NFT combines Luis Rubiales’ achievements as a professional athlete and his experiences from his childhood, effectively portraying his story. It offers fans and collectors a unique and meaningful digital asset that holds value.”
In a shared statement, Moon Labs said that Rubiales “made a small mistake” at the World Cup while arguing his actions shouldn’t be considered sexual assault.
Este mensaje es para quienes respaldan la igualdad real y no radicalismos ni manipulaciones mediáticas.
This message is for those who support real equality and not radicalism or media manipulations.
LINK NFTs 17/1/2024:https://t.co/PoGaDKakrZ pic.twitter.com/KVfINtr6X6
— Luis Rubiales (@LuisRubiales17) January 16, 2024
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At the time of writing, four NFTs have been sold, three of which were sold to the same wallet. The highest NFT is currently listed for 0.36 ETH ($914).
Another football figure currently embroiled in legal issues relating to the NFT space is former Real Madrid legend Christiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is facing a class action lawsuit concerning his ‘CR7’ NFT collection launched in partnership with Binance.
Claimants in the case state that Ronaldo promoted Binance and caused a “500% increase in searches” for the exchange. This, they say, led people to invest in unregistered securities, including Binance’s own BNB.
Ronaldo has also been accused of sexual offenses, specifically of raping Kathryn Mayorga in 2009. The case was settled out of court last November.
