Wiegman extends England deal as Lionesses face squad refresh

Sarina Wiegman has extended her contract as England manager until after the 2029 European Championship, taking on the task of refreshing a team whose recent success has raised expectations and helped fuel interest in women’s football. [1]

The Dutch coach, appointed in 2021, has won three European titles: with the Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022 and 2025. She also led the Netherlands to the 2019 World Cup final and England to the 2023 final.

England’s challenge is to keep evolving as players from the core of its successful side grow older and rivals strengthen. Seven players who started June’s 4-0 defeat by world champions Spain had also featured in the Euro 2022 final. The loss left England needing to negotiate two play-off rounds to qualify for next summer’s World Cup. They beat Greece in the first round and are due to face Ukraine before Christmas.

Several established players will be in their thirties by Euro 2029. Defender Lucy Bronze will be 37 and Alex Greenwood 36, while captain Leah Williamson and midfielder Keira Walsh will be 32. England have introduced 24 players during Wiegman’s tenure, but BBC Sport says only Lauren James, Hannah Hampton and Lucia Kendall have become regular starters.

The recent matches against Greece offered a glimpse of other options, with debuts for London City’s Freya Godfrey and Erica Meg Parkinson, and Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter starting the second leg. Former England captain Steph Houghton said Wiegman was giving young players opportunities to challenge established squad members. [1]

The wider women’s game has changed since England’s Euro 2022 win, which was followed by a surge in attendances, media coverage and club investment. But BBC Sport reports that initial crowds in the 2026-27 Women’s Super League season are down on previous campaigns. England’s 5-0 win over Greece drew 18,587 fans at Leicester’s King Power Stadium, nearly 10,000 fewer than qualifiers at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground and Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium earlier this year. [1]

England’s new contract commits Wiegman through another major cycle. Her task is to maintain the team’s competitiveness while bringing through replacements for the players who have shaped its success.