The head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has been heavily criticised for kissing international Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the country's women's team beat England in the 2023 Women's World Cup final last weekend.

The 46-year-old initially responded to his critics before apologizing. But criticism of Rubiales’s actions has not abated. The RFEF convened an emergency meeting on August 25 and launched an internal investigation into the incident as pressure mounted to take action against Rubiales.

Victor Francos, Spain's Minister of Sports and President of the Spanish Sports Council (CSD), said they would take action if the RFEF did not take action. The CSD could take the case to the Spanish Sports Administrative Court. "I personally told the federation that the report must be transparent and urgent, because if not, we will be forced to take additional measures," Francos told Cadena Ser radio.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on August 22 that Rubiales' apology for the controversial kiss was not enough. Rubiales' act of kissing a female player on the lips was also criticized around the world. Even in his home country of Spain, some domestic clubs called for the head of the RFEF to resign.

The incident somewhat overshadowed the historic journey of the Spanish women's team at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Jenni Hermoso and her teammates brought home the first-ever world championship for Spanish women's football after defeating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney (Australia) on August 20.