England head coach Sarina Wiegman has transformed women's football in the country, but after signing a contract extension, she faces her toughest test yet.
Her successful England teams have been built on a core group from an outstanding generation, yet cracks have appeared this year. Seven of the side that started against world champions Spain in June also played in the Euro 2022 final against Germany. A 4-0 defeat in Mallorca laid bare the gap England must bridge to the world's best, and it also forced two rounds of play-offs to reach next summer's World Cup. Beating Greece this month navigated the first, with games against Ukraine, who England have already beaten twice in 2026, to come before Christmas.
Finding successors will not be straightforward. Defensive stalwarts Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood will be 37 and 36 by Euro 2029, while Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh will be 32. Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway will also be past 30. Ellen White, England's record goalscorer, has said the Lionesses must keep evolving: "We can't stay stagnant or keep trying to win in the same ways all the time." Former goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis praised Wiegman's willingness to give young players a chance, and Steph Houghton pointed to Lexi Potter, who made her debut and now starts regularly for Chelsea.
Wiegman has handed debuts to 24 players, but only Lauren James, Hannah Hampton and Lucia Kendall have become established starters. Against Greece, Laura Blindkilde Brown, 23, and Chelsea academy graduate Potter, 20, impressed, hinting at her next steps.
The challenge extends beyond the pitch. Homegrown starters in the Women's Super League have declined over four seasons, and interest may be plateauing. Early crowd figures for 2026-27 are down, and only 18,587 fans watched the 5-0 win over Greece at King Power Stadium. The FA's Dan Ashworth credits Wiegman with a "golden age for women's football in this country", but sustaining it will require fresh growth from increasingly arid ground.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing