A week ago, the Spanish women’s soccer team made history, clinching its first World Cup. In the days since, a different kind of history has unraveled.

It began with a kiss. In the aftermath of the victory, Luis Rubiales, president of Spain’s soccer federation, took player Jenni Hermoso in both hands and planted an unwanted kiss on her lips.

It wasn’t really a kiss, he said, but a consensual “peck” born of the euphoria of the moment. Ms. Hermoso immediately denied having given consent to an act she said made her feel vulnerable and disrespected. As calls have mounted for his resignation, Mr. Rubiales has refused, vowing to fight “until the end.” His mother has announced she will go on a hunger strike until his name is cleared.

From one vantage point, it’s a story about the pervasiveness of strands of machismo in a sphere dominated by men – and revered in Spanish society. But from another angle, the scandal has shown how dramatically public opinion has shifted in Spain in recent years. Condemnation came swiftly. The vice president of the federation resigned, and the players vowed not to return to the team if changes aren’t made to its leadership.

The case contrasts with that of Nevenka Fernández, a former city councilor in Ponferrada, Spain, who in 2001 reported her boss, the mayor, for sexual harassment. She won her legal case, but large swaths of society turned against her, and her career in Spain was ruined.

Today, droves of athletes have spoken out in support of Ms. Hermoso, alongside the press and politicians from all sides. FIFA, which governs global soccer, has suspended Mr. Rubiales, and prosecutors opened an investigation.

Surely, this was not the type of attention the team was hoping for. But for the women of Spain, it could be just as significant.