Real Madrid Player to Face Trial a Year Later

Real Madrid defender Raúl Asensio is set to face trial in September over the alleged dissemination of intimate footage involving a minor, despite both women identified as victims having withdrawn their complaints against him. Asensio faces two charges: one for allegedly distributing a video without consent and another for allegedly sharing sexually explicit content featuring a minor.

He will be tried alongside three former teammates from Real Madrid's youth academy. Ferran Ruiz, Juan Rodriguez, and Andrés Garcia are accused in connection with the alleged filming and distribution of sexually explicit videos involving a minor girl and another woman. On Thursday, the presiding judge dismissed all arguments presented by the defense attorneys for the four men during the preliminary hearing. The trial is scheduled to take place in Gran Canaria on September 3rd, 4th, and 7th of this year.

Defense lawyers had sought to exclude certain evidence from the case, including material obtained after Spanish police seized the defendants' phones. In court documents reviewed by The Athletic, the judge ruled that such seizures "do not require the consent of the owners" of the phones, adding:

"All defendants created backups in their cloud accounts to delete content prior to their arrests, which constitutes a clear attempt to obstruct the investigation into the reported events."

The case revolves around the filming – allegedly without consent – of sexual contact in a private area of a Canary Islands beach club in June 2023, as well as the subsequent alleged distribution of the video, also without consent. Asensio is not accused of participating in the act or filming the video. However, he is alleged to have requested the recordings and shown them to another friend, which, under Article 77 of the Spanish Penal Code, would constitute two offenses against privacy.

The 23-year-old footballer is charged with disclosing and providing third parties with images filmed without consent, under Article 197.1.3, paragraphs 2 and 5 of the Penal Code. Both women identified as victims have since withdrawn their accusations against Asensio. However, the judge ruled that each must confirm this stance in court for it to be considered. Both continue to accuse the other three defendants – Ruiz, Rodriguez, and Garcia.

Asensio has consistently maintained his innocence. In May 2025, he released a statement saying:

"I have not engaged in any conduct that violated the sexual freedom of any woman, much less minors. If I am ultimately charged and it proceeds to an open trial, I will continue to exercise my right to defense before the courts and tribunals, in which I have full confidence, reiterating that I have not participated in any criminal act."

Last August, the prosecution sought a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Asensio, as well as effective sentences for each of the other three men. A case summary provided by prosecutors to The Athletic also claims that both women are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident.

Asensio, born in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, has made 80 appearances for Real Madrid. He has previously received a call-up to the Spanish national team but has yet to make his debut.