GEOFF BENNETT: The glow of Spain's first ever Women's World Cup championship has been dimmed a bit by a cloud of controversy surrounding the head of Spain's Soccer Federation.

John Yang has more.

JOHN YANG: Geoff, the firestorm of criticism erupted around Luis Rubiales, the head of Spain's Soccer Federation, shortly after the championship game's final whistle.

During the on-field celebration, Rubiales midfielder Jennifer Hermoso's head in both his hands and kissed her on the lips.

Today, Hermoso reiterated that at no time did she consent to the kiss.

Retiring U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe told The Athletic that the kiss and a video of Rubiales' grabbing his crotch while celebrating in the stands reflected "the deep level of misogyny and sexism in the federation.

It made me think of how much we are required to endure."

Today, Rubiales rejected claims for him to resign.

LUIS RUBIALES, President, Spanish Football Federation (through translator): Is it so serious that I need to leave, having done the best management in the history of Spanish football?

Do you think I have to resign?

Well, I'm going to tell you something.

I will not resign.

I will not resign.

(APPLAUSE) LUIS RUBIALES (through translator): I will not resign.

I will not resign.

(APPLAUSE) JOHN YANG: But the pressure isn't letting up.

Today, the Spanish government began proceedings to suspend Rubiales, and all team members said they would not play as long as he's head of the federation.

Christine Brennan is a writer for USA Today.

Christine, the Spanish team, of course, not a stranger to controversy.

Last year, 15 players sat out, rather than play for a coach they said inflicted emotional distress on them.

Is this one bad federation or is there something larger going on here?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, USA Today: Well, John, that really is the question.

And FIFA needs to get the answer to that question.

If I'm FIFA -- and, clearly, I'm not, but if I'm FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, I'm saying, if this is happening in Spain, where else is it happening?

And, apparently, this has been something that -- well, we have no idea, but we can only imagine what's been going on behind the scenes.

And because this was,on Sunday, on the world stage, the entire world is watching, and Rubiales felt comfortable doing what he did.

What a message that sends.

And FIFA should be setting up hot lines for every nation for women to speak out.

I think they have a huge issue on their hands.

It can't just be Spain.

And, in fact, John, we know that because, a year ago, the Sally Yates investigation found, of course, rampant issues of abuse and sexism and misconduct in the NWSL here in the United States.

So, this isn't just Spain.

It's not just the United States.

And it's about time that we had this reckoning.

I think there's something really good in something so terrible as this, because now the world gets a chance to see what these women have been dealing with for many, many years.

JOHN YANG: You said the whole world's watching this.

I thought the contrast was striking.

Around the world, players, both men and women, are denouncing Rubiales.

The Spanish prime minister is denouncing him.

But we saw in that video the men who are leading this federation applauding him.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: We did, John.

And you just have to wonder how much longer this is going to be acceptable.

We know that the Spanish government, their officials, spoke out right away on Sunday after the forced kiss or what we might call sexual assault.

And they spoke out very forcefully saying that was not acceptable.

So the Spanish government will have its say here.

And my guess is that Rubiales will not be around much longer to run the Spanish Football Federation, even though, as he said five times, he's not going to resign.

I think, for him, he's probably absolutely shocked by this, a middle-aged man who's clearly been living his life a certain way.

And the world of 2023 is kind of slapping him in the face.

It's kind of coming down this reckoning, this sense that you just can't get away with what you have been doing in the past.

That's, I think, one of the big messages here.

And, certainly, let's hope that that's a message that is heard around the world, no matter what Rubiales is saying today.

JOHN YANG: You talked about FIFA's got to step up here.

The weekend before the championship games, Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, told women that they have to pick the right battles.

"You have the power to convince us men what we have to do," in other words, putting this onus, this burden all on the women.

What do you make of that?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes.

Well, and, again, John, that happens, and, a few days later, you have got the force kiss on the world stage.

So this -- if people aren't throwing up their hands right now and just saying what on earth is going on in this sport for the girls and the women who -- millions of them who want to play it, not just, of course, in the U.S. and not just in Spain, not just in England and Germany, but in nations that have been good in men's soccer and are not good in women's soccer, which, of course, tells us a lot right there about the misogyny and the sexism.

And, absolutely, Infantino needs to understand that this is the 21st century.

And, so far, he's been able to get away with things like this.

He escapes on vacation during the Women's World Cup.

He would never do that, he would never did that at the men's World Cup, but he did it at the Women's World Cup.

Then you have his comments, which were just so patronizing.

He is the man in charge.

He's the one who could go like this and say that prize money needs to be equal immediately.

He could have done that at that exact moment.

And he hasn't done that.

So I think we see the problem here loud and clear.

JOHN YANG: One of the messages from this Women's World Cup was how soccer programs, women's soccer programs around the world are flourishing.

But, at the same time, we have things like this going on.

Talk a little bit about that contrast.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: I think history -- there will be books written on this.

This Spanish -- the week in Spain in women's sports, in women's soccer is extraordinary.

It's a watershed moment.

And what we're seeing here, frankly, as I said, is a good thing.

It's a terrible thing.

The awfulness of Rubiales is remarkable.

But so is the heroism of Jenni Hermoso, speaking out as she has.

And if people haven't read every word, go online and read everything she said.

And the fact that the entire Spanish team is now on strike, they have said they're on strike -- and, in a couple of weeks, they have got to qualify for the Olympics.

It's a very big time for them.

The sense that women have a voice and that it is time not only on the field to play, those opportunities, but off the field of play.

And that is what we're seeing here play out.

JOHN YANG: Christine Brennan of USA Today, thank you very much.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: John, thank you.