The Spain women's national football team has been involved in public disputes, primarily when its players have advocated for improvements and spoken against the national federation (RFEF). For most of its history, the team has had few, long-serving, managers, with the culture of the team under their instruction criticised.
On four occasions members of the team have called for institutional change in the conditions of the national team: first in 1996, once after placing bottom of their group at the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, again in 2022, and the latest in 2023 immediately after winning the World Cup. Lola Gallardo and Sandra Paños were the only players signatory to each dispute between 2015 and 2023, with Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Jennifer Hermoso also significantly involved.
Gallardo and Paños were considered retired by the RFEF after the third dispute. The unsettled tensions came to a head when Spain won the 2023 World Cup. During the medal presentation at this event, RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips without consent, causing global outcry and a rapid examination of the conditions the players had complained about; five days later, 81 players signed a letter denouncing abuse in the RFEF and saying they would not play for Spain again until its leadership changed.