These arrests occur during a challenging period in Spanish football, amidst accusations of sexual misconduct against the former soccer federation leader, Luis Rubiales, who kissed the World Cup victor, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips last month, prompting a wave of outrage against sexism and chauvinistic conduct in Spain.

Real Madrid authorities were not accessible for immediate commentary. El Confidencial newspaper previously reported, citing sources linked to the investigation, that the individuals arrested were three players from the youth academy, the reserve team, and the third team. The case originated from a police report filed on September 6 in the Canary Islands by the mother of the underage victim. According to the account, the primary focus of the investigation is a player from Real Madrid C—the third team of the Spanish club—who purportedly recorded a sexual encounter with the 16-year-old victim. Cadena SER radio station stated that the relationship was consensual.

The other two players purportedly disseminated the video without the minor's consent using the mobile messaging application WhatsApp, as reported by El Confidencial and Cadena SER.

All three were detained on Thursday morning in Madrid, suspected of committing a felony recognized in Spanish criminal law as "revealing secrets of a sexual nature," according to the reports.