Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), has become something of a global punching bag in recent days after his non-consensual kiss of star Spain player Jenni Hermoso.

Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s acting second deputy prime minister, is calling for Rubialies to resign.

“Our most resounding condemnation for what we saw,” Diaz said on X. “Nothing more and nothing less, a woman has been harassed and assaulted.”

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s acting prime minister, said Rubiales’ apology for kissing Hermoso “wasn’t sufficient.”

“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said in a video released to the media. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.

“Here we saw it as something natural and normal. But on the outside it has caused a stir, because people have felt hurt by it, so I have to apologize; there’s no alternative. I have to learn from this and understand that a president of an institution as important as the federation — above all in ceremonies and that kind of thing — should be more careful.”

Sánchez’s comments came after he hosted the Spain team at Moncloa Palace, the Spanish prime minister’s residence, and awarded the players and staff the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit. Sánchez shook Rubiales’ hand during the visit.

“The apologies made by Mr. Rubiales are not enough. I even think that they are not appropriate and that, therefore, Mr. Rubiales needs to continue to take steps to clarify what we all saw,” Sánchez told the media.

The turmoil surrounding Spain’s victory in the 2023 World Cup does not appear to be dissipating any time soon.

During the trophy ceremony, Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), kissed star Jenni Hermoso on the lips, inciting widespread backlash. Rubiales later apologized for the incident in a video released to the media.

Hermoso was asked by Rubiales to appear alongside him in the video, according to a Relevo report – and she declined. Spain coach Jorge Vilda also asked Hermoso’s family to convince the 33-year-old midfielder to appear in the video.

“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said in the video, alone. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.”

While Hermoso later said in a statement that the kiss was “no big deal,” the Relevo report indicates that those words were written by RFEF’s communications department. In an Instagram Live video after the game, Hermoso said of the kiss, “I didn’t like it. But what could I do? Look at me.”

The star player also asked about the gesture on a Spanish radio program. “It is just a small thing,” she said. “If people want to blow it up, they will. For sure, I won’t be making more if it.”

The kiss has dominated the aftermath of what should be a celebratory time for Hermoso. She helped Spain claim its first World Cup title, punctuated with a 1-0 win over England in the final. Yet Hermoso has had to deal with Rubiales’ kiss and the corresponding commotion.

When Spain celebrated its victory with fans in Madrid on Monday, Hermoso walked onto stage, gold medal around her neck, and flashed a big grin, hugging local singer Dionisio Martin. Martin did not try to kiss her.

The U.S. women’s national team bowed out in the Round of 16 of the 2023 World Cup, but some good news might be headed the Americans’ way.

The U.S. Soccer Federation and the Mexican Football Association, in a joint bid, are one of four groups still in the running to host the 2027 World Cup, FIFA has announced. The hosts will be named in May 2024.

Three other bids also remain in contention: The Brazilian Football Association, the South African Football Association, and, in a three-way expression of interest, the Royal Belgian Football Association, the Royal Netherlands Football Association and the German Football Association.

The U.S. last hosted a World Cup in 2003, after a severe outbreak of SARS in China forced FIFA to move from its originally scheduled host. Germany beat Sweden in the final, while the USWNT took third place. The U.S. also hosted the 1999 World Cup, clinching the title over China with Brandi Chastain’s dramatic penalty kick goal.

The 1994 men’s World Cup took place in the United States, and the 2026 men’s tournament will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

By 2027, the USWNT will have a different feel, with a new head coach and without several national heroes, including Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz, who have announced their retirements. The program will be looking to atone for its performance in this year’s World Cup, when it suffered its earliest ever exit.

And the players might get the opportunity to pursue redemption in front of their home fans.

In the 29th minute of the 2023 World Cup final, Olga Carmona scored on a left-footed shot to give Spain a 1-0 lead over England. It proved to be the decisive goal in the match, as neither team would score the rest of the way.

Carmona beamed afterwards, accepting her gold medal and celebrating with her teammates. Then she learned tragic news: Her father had died before the match. Her family waited until after the celebration to tell her.

“Yesterday was the best and worst day of my life,” Carmona wrote on X. “I know that you would want to see me enjoying this historic moment, so that’s why I’ll be with my teammates, so that from where you are you know that this star is also yours, dad.”

Carmona also scored the winner in Spain’s 2-1 victory over Sweden in the semifinal. With her goal against England, she became the first player since former USWNT captain Carli Lloyd to score in a World Cup semifinal and final.

A 23-year-old defender for Real Madrid, Carmona said her father gave her “the strength to achieve something unique.”

“And without knowing it, I had my Star before the game started,” Carmona wrote on X. “I know that you were watching me tonight and that you are proud of me. Rest in peace, dad.”

Spain’s win has not been without controversy. During the postgame celebration, Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), kissed star Jenni Hermoso on the lips, sparking mass criticism.

But the program has rallied around Carmona in the wake of her emotional World Cup final.

“We love you, Olga,” the federation wrote on X. “You are part of the history of Spanish soccer.”

Carli Lloyd, the U.S. women’s national team great turned Fox Sports analyst, made headlines during the 2023 World Cup for her frequent criticism of her former team. Lloyd also offered suggestions for what head coach Vlatko Andonovski could have done differently.

That doesn’t mean Lloyd has any interest in the USWNT’s head coaching vacancy, however. The two-time World Cup champion shut down the possibility in a post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

“A definite no,” she wrote of herself as a candidate. “Not qualified, no coaching licenses and no experience. They’ll land a good one. It’s important to get it right.”

Since retiring following the 2021 Olympics, in which the USWNT won bronze, Lloyd has been vocal about her beliefs on the state of the program.

Andonovski’s resignation has triggered speculation about his replacement, ranging from Lloyd to Tony Gustavsson, the Australian head coach and former USWNT assistant under Jill Ellis. Lluís Cortés and Laura Harvey also have been linked to the opening. Harvey, a former USWNT assistant, is currently the head coach of the NWSL’s OL Reign.

“I enjoyed my time at U.S. Soccer. That’s no doubt,” Harvey said. “The U.S. women’s national team is probably the top job in the world, if not a top three job in the world. That’s just reality. And if my name is anywhere near it, then that’s an honor.”

When asked about the opening, USWNT legend Brandi Chastain said she would “love to lead this national team some time in the future,” while acknowledging she is not yet ready for the job.

Whatever direction the USWNT decides to go in, there’s no doubt Lloyd will have an opinion – and she won’t be afraid to share it.

“They need a fresh start,” she wrote on X. “Someone who hasn’t been part of the program. Wouldn’t be wise to recycle coaches. Too much history.”

Casey Stoney is not one to mince words. The San Diego Wave head coach has been fined multiple times this season for criticizing NWSL officials.

Now, Stoney has weighed on the controversy surrounding Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final. Rubiales, the president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), gave the 33-year-old midfielder a surprise kiss on the lips during the team’s World Cup celebration. Spain defeated England, 1-0, to win the title.

“Would he kiss a male player like this?” Stoney wrote on X. “This is NOT ok.”

Her post echoed comments she made last year on the danger of power imbalances and “boundaries crossed” in women’s sports.

Stoney added to the cacophony surrounding the incident. Irene Montero, Spain’s national minister for equality, condemned Rubiales’ actions.

“It’s a form of sexual violence women suffer on a daily basis.” Montero wrote on social media. “We should not assume kissing without consent is something ‘that happens.’”

Hermoso, for what it’s worth, has said the gesture was “no big deal,” and Rubiales has apologized.

“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said in a video released to the media. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.”

Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), caused a stir when he kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the team’s World Cup celebration Sunday. Spain defeated England 1-0 for the country’s first Women’s World Cup title.

In the hours after the celebrations, Hermoso, Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer, downplayed the incident.

“It was a mutual, totally spontaneous gesture because of the huge joy of winning a World Cup,” she said in a statement to news agency EFE. “The ‘presi’ and I have a great relationship. … It was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”

Hermoso’s remarks come amid widespread criticism over the incident. During Spain’s medal presentation, players approached Rubiales one by one. Rubiales hugged and kissed many of the players on the cheek. When Hermoso approached, he hugged her, and then grabbed her head and kissed her on the mouth.

He at first called those upset with the gesture “idiots,” but has changed his tune amid growing backlash. Spain’s minister for culture and sport, Miquel Iceta, for instance, described Rubiales’ kiss as “unacceptable.”

“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said in a video released to the media. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.

“Here we saw it as something natural and normal. But on the outside it has caused a stir, because people have felt hurt by it, so I have to apologize; there’s no alternative. I have to learn from this and understand that a president of an institution as important as the federation — above all in ceremonies and that kind of thing — should be more careful.”

Hermoso had previously said she “didn’t like” the kiss during an Instagram livestream on Sunday.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of turmoil within RFEF. Head coach Jorge Vilda selected only three of 15 players for the World Cup team who had expressed concerns with his leadership in a written letter to RFEF.

This was the most-attended Women’s World Cup of all time.

An announced 75,784 people descended upon Stadium Australia in Sydney to watch Spain defeat England, 1-0, in the championship match. The World Cup final pushed the unofficial attendance for the tournament to just under 1.98 million people.

“Credit to the tournament, it’s been phenomenal, the crowds that we’ve generated and the support that all teams have and it’s been surreal, it’s been so visible,” England captain Mille Bright said to reporters after the final. “In terms of the women’s game … I definitely think we’re at our peak.”

About 1.13 million people attended the 2019 World Cup in France, setting the previous record. The 2019 final, in which the U.S. women’s national team defeated the Netherlands, 2-0, was attended by 57,900 people. This year’s tournament, held in nine host cities across Australia and New Zealand from July 20 through Aug. 20, proves interest in the women’s game has reached previously unseen levels.

Australia’s run to the semifinal proved to be a boon for local viewership. The Matildas’ loss to England in the semifinal drew an average of 7.13 million viewers on local broadcast channels, the highest ever recorded by research firm OzTAM, which launched in 2001.

And before the USWNT’s exit in the Round of 16, the team set TV records: Its 1-1 draw with the Netherlands set a record for group stage matches with 6.4 million viewers.

“It just feels like, after 50 years of Title IX and 50 years of girls and young women getting more and more opportunities to play sports, you’re seeing this breakthrough in interest in women’s sports as far as television properties,” Michael Mulvihill, Fox’s president of insights and analytics, told Deadline. “I feel like that’s actually the big story of this tournament.”

The U.S. Women’s National Team is in the market for a new head coach after Vlatko Andonovski’s resignation, and one name that has been floated as a replacement is Tony Gustavsson.

Tony Gustavsson, a former USWNT assistant under Jill Ellis, led Australia to the World Cup semifinal this year as the team captured the attention of the nation. Gustavsson, however, seems focused on helping the Matildas reach the next level.

“I don’t see this as an end of a journey. I see it as the beginning of a journey,” he said after Australia’s loss to Sweden in the third-place match. “But I also want to be very clear that I want to see investment now. I really do. I want to see investment and I mean like real investment that we’re serious about what we do.”

Gustavsson has attracted some criticism for his tactical decisions and substitution patterns. But among USWNT fans, after a lackluster run under Andonovski – the team came in third at the 2021 Summer Games and was eliminated in the Round of 16 of this year’s World Cup – Gustavsson is an appealing candidate. Even Ellis, who led the USWNT to back-to-back World Cups alongside Gustavsson, said Gustavsson should “definitely be a strong candidate” for the head job.

The timing might be tricky, however. Gustavsson is under contract with Football Australia until the end of Australia’s 2024 Olympics run. And, for now at least, the coach seems happy in his current situation.

“What I can say is I love working with this team,” Gustavsson said. “It resonates with me as a coach; their identity and their why.”

The 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup will conclude with the championship match Sept. 9. It might be the tournament’s final bow.

The NWSL plans to abandon the Challenge Cup as a tournament in 2024, according to a report in The Equalizer. The league instead will stage a showcase between the winners of this year’s NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship, per the report.

The tournament, which is played alongside the NWSL regular season, was started in 2020 after the pandemic wiped out the regular season before it even began. Now it might be on its way out.

The OL Reign will play Racing Louisville FC in one semifinal match, with the Kansas City Current against the North Carolina Courage in the other. Both games will be held on Sept. 6 on the CBS Sports Network. The winners of the tournament will claim $1 million in prize money to be split among the players.

The reported new one-off version of the Challenge Cup will mirror the format in other countries, where the previous season’s domestic cup winner plays the league champion.

The Houston Dash won the inaugural Challenge Cup, with the Portland Thorns winning in 2021 and the North Carolina Courage last year.