Embattled Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales has been provisionally suspended by FIFA for 90 days in the wake of the World Cup kissing row.

The 46-year-old has refused to step down despite mounting pressure from within Spanish football and the government.

He grabbed player Hermoso and kissed her on the lips during the awards ceremony following Spain's 1-0 victory over England on Sunday in Sydney, Australia.

FIFA said it had suspended Mr Rubiales "from all football-related activities at national and international level".

"This suspension, which will be effective as of today, is for an initial period of 90 days", pending the disciplinary proceedings against Mr Rubiales.

“No one doing & saying this can be in a position to represent any institution,” Ribera said in a text message. “No women can be used in such a way. No one can accept an invitation to his male mates to take this as the ‘normal’ way to behave. [Rubiales] should not stay in office any longer and the government will take any actions to step him down.”

Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales changes his mind, says he won't resign after kissing Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips.

"Fake feminism is a great scourge in this country. This is a social assassination," he says, claiming the kiss was consensual.

“I will fight until the end. I hope the law is enforced. The press neither seeks justice nor seeks the truth,” he said. “I am not going to resign, I am not going to resign.”

Rubiales said the kiss — which he characterized as “a mere peck … the kind I would give my daughters” — had been consensual, with Hermoso agreeing after he proposed it. In the locker room after the game, Hermoso said on an Instagram Live video. “But what can I do? I didn’t like it, eh,” about the kiss.

But on Friday, Rubiales said he was a victim of “false feminism” and of politicians aiming to vilify him. He specifically named Spain’s caretaker deputy prime minister, Yolanda Díaz, and Equality Minister Irene Montero as his persecutors and said that he would seek legal action against those who had criticized him.

He went on to blame Hermoso for contributing to his “social assassination” by initially remaining silent and later issuing a press release calling for more measures to fight sexual harassment in Spanish football.

The @Spanish Women's National Football team players, world champions and other soccer players, in support of @Jennihermoso, express their firm condemnation of behaviors that have violated the dignity of women.

The statement is open to footballers who want to join

The Spanish Football Federation on Saturday accused Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso’s of “lies” in her comments about her kiss with federation President Luis Rubiales.

It said the federation and Rubiales would “demonstrate each of the lies that have been spread, whether in the name of the player, if that is the case, or by the player herself” after Hermoso said she did not consent to being kissed on the lips following Spain’s World Cup triumph.