Rubiales finally resigned on Sunday (September 10) after three weeks of pressure and widespread criticism for his conduct during the presentation ceremony after Spain had beaten England to lift the Women's World Cup for the first time on August 20.

Hermoso last week filed a legal complaint against the former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President, who also stepped down from his role as UEFA vice-president.

She said on social media last month the kiss was not consensual, she "felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulsive-driven, sexist, out-of-place act" and alleged she had faced pressure from the RFEF to publicly defend Rubiales.

Judge Francisco de Jorge of the National Court accepted Hermoso's complaint yesterday, and Rubiales has been summoned by a High Court judge to respond to the accusations of sexual assault and coercion on Friday.

The magistrate is set to decide whether to recommend the case for trial or to dismiss it after completing the investigation.

According to a sexual consent law passed in Spain last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault.

Spain's women's team had refused to play while Rubiales remained in office, and the heads of Spanish regional football federations and Spanish Olympic Committee President Alejandro Blanco were among those who called for him to resign.

Rubiales had been suspended by FIFA since August 27 and banned for 90 days, after he refused to stand down at a remarkable RFEF Extraordinary General Meeting in which he claimed he was victim of a "witch hunt" by "false feminists".

He had been elected as RFEF President in 2018 and to the UEFA Executive Committee the following year, but there had been criticism even before the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand over how the national governing body had handled concerns expressed by 15 members of Spain's women's team over the leadership of Jorge Vilda.

Vilda was sacked by the RFEF earlier this month.

Rubiales continued to claim in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan on TalkTV the kiss was "mutual", and "my intentions were noble, enthusiastic, 100 per cent non-sexual".

He has issued a general apology for his action, but refused to apologise directly to Hermoso when asked by Morgan.

During the interview, Rubiales did admit he was "truly ashamed" of images which emerged of him grabbing his crotch in the Presidential box at the Stadium Australia in Sydney after the final whistle.