Rubiales, now 46, mainly played in Spain’s Segunda Division, before a brief stint in Scotland. He went on to become president of Spain’s main football union, before heading up the Spanish FA.
Instead of celebrating its Women’s World Cup triumph, Spanish football has been overshadowed by the actions of one of its most powerful men.
Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has been suspended by FIFA for 90 days after grabbing and kissing player Jenni Hermoso after the final in Sydney on 20 August.
She says that in “no moment” did she consent to the kiss.
He has remained defiant in the face of mounting criticism, saying he’s the subject of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists”.
In an extraordinary speech last week, the 46-year-old said: “Do you really think I deserve this hunt? People demanding my resignation? Is this so serious for me to resign, having done the best management of Spanish football?”
He asked: “Do you think I need to resign?” – before going on to say five times that he would not.
As his fate hangs in the balance – with his own organisation calling for him to go, Sky News looks at his rise to the top of Spanish football – and the controversies along the way.
Late start to footballing career
Luis Rubiales was born on the Spanish Canary Islands in 1977 and grew up in the southern province of Granada.
It wasn’t until the early 2000s and his late 20s that his football career took off.
As a defender, he played mainly in Spain’s second division league for clubs such as Mallorca B, Lleida, Xerez and Levante.
During his time at Levante, they were promoted to La Liga, with Mr Rubiales making 53 appearances for them between 2004 and 2008.
The first minor controversy of his career also came while he was there, leading his fellow players out on strike over unpaid wages.
At the age of 32, in 2009, he signed a one-year deal to move to Scotland and play for the Hamilton Accies – but left after just two weeks and retired back to Spain.
Union chief
The following year he became the president of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) union.
While his time there was free of scandal, since the World Cup kissing row emerged, the union’s then-marketing and commercial director, Tamara Ramos, has claimed she quit the AFE having been publicly humiliated by Rubiales on several occasions.
The Spanish federation has accused Ms Ramos of “taking advantage of the current media climate”.
Last year Mr Rubiales insisted there is a “campaign to discredit him”.
He claimed that he “cannot guarantee one day they will put a bag of cocaine in the boot of my car” – without making clear who he was referring to.