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 he appeared to grab and kiss Spanish player Jenni Hermoso following the country’s success in the final of the tournament in Australia. He claims the kiss was consensual, but Hermoso claims this is not the case.
Hermoso reportedly filed an official complaint and Spanish prosecutors subsequently charged Rubiales with assault and coercion after he allegedly pressured her to defend him amid the global backlash.
Now, Rubiales has launched his own NFT collection, together with Korean web3 company 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 manipulation.”
According to OpenSea, this NFT combines Luis Rubiales’ achievements as a professional athlete and his childhood experiences, 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 Rubiales “made a small mistake” during the World Cup, while arguing that his actions should not be considered sexual assault.
These messages are intended to prevent real real radicalization and media manipulation.
This message is for those who support true equality and not radicalism or media manipulation.
⚖️🏆
LINK NFTs 1/17/2024: 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. Currently the highest NFT is listed 0.36ETH ($914).
Another football figure currently embroiled in legal issues regarding the NFT space is former Real Madrid legend Christiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is facing a class action lawsuit over his ‘CR7’ NFT collection, launched in partnership with Binance.
Plaintiffs in the case allege that Ronaldo promoted Binance and a “500% increase in searches‘ for the exchange. This, they say, has led to people investing in unregistered securities, including Binance’s own BNB.
Ronaldo has also been accused of sex crimes, most notably the rape of Kathryn Mayorga in 2009. The case was settled out of court last November.