Women's World Cup was great success in all kinds of ways, but the work isn't over

It is fair to say that the FIFA Women's World Cup was an astounding success.

It was full of group-stage drama, underdog stories of jubilation and moments that will be forever etched in history. Some teams weaved stories of joy, while others suffered disappointment. There were tears and heartbreak, and there was success and exquisite soccer. And there was drama on and off the pitch.

Canada's early exit from the Women's World Cup meant that I returned home from Australia after the group stage, but I watched and covered the rest of the tournament. I got up in the wee hours to watch the Round of 16 and then the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Along with the rest of the world, I witnessed new teams grab headlines, storied players make exits that weren't foreseen, co-hosts Australia create a momentum and, perhaps most importantly, discussions off the pitch. 

The reality is that while soccer is beautiful, and this tournament was stunning, electric and addictive, some of the most important work is not done with the ball. It is done alongside it. 

Some of the most pressing issues happened during the trophy presentation to Spain, who gifted the world a majestic game and completely outplayed England to win the championship.

The Spanish women's national team has been the centre of attention and not only for their tiki taka style of passing. They were embroiled in a dispute with the federation, which supported head coach Jorge Vilda despite his having been accused of a toxic management style and controlling the team so much that it affected the state of their health.

A letter from the team to Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), resulted in a few veteran players being left off the squad and saw