Sarina Wiegman will remain England head coach until after Euro 2029 after agreeing a two-year contract extension with the Football Association, announced on Monday. The deal, confirmed six days after the Lionesses thrashed Greece 5-0 in Leicester to move within one tie of the 2027 World Cup, keeps in post the only manager in the history of the men’s or women’s game to have reached five successive major tournament finals.
Wiegman’s previous contract was due to expire after next summer’s World Cup in Brazil. She is now committed through to the end of the European Championship in Germany in July 2029 — a tournament that will be her fifth Euros as an international manager.
“I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football,” Wiegman said. “I am grateful to Mark Bullingham, Debbie Hewitt and the FA Board for the incredible way they have backed me and my coaches. My main concern right now is absolutely the World Cup, and helping this squad realise their potential in the years to come.”
Assistant coaches Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit and goalkeeping coach Darren Ward have also extended to 2029, preserving the backroom team intact. The FA has not disclosed terms, though the package is understood to be comfortably the largest ever offered to a Lionesses head coach.
An unparalleled tournament record
The numbers behind the extension are difficult to argue with. Wiegman has won 26 of her 31 matches at major tournaments as an international manager, drawing two and losing three — an 83.9% win rate. Her overall record with England stands at roughly 70% wins, better than any manager of either England senior side with at least 10 games in charge.
Her run of finals began before she arrived in England. With the Netherlands she won Euro 2017 on home soil and reached the 2019 World Cup final, losing to the United States in Lyon. Appointed by the FA in September 2021, she then delivered:
- Euro 2022: champions, beating Germany 2-1 after extra time in front of 87,192 at Wembley — England’s first major senior trophy since 1966
- 2023 World Cup: runners-up, losing 1-0 to Spain in Sydney
- Euro 2025: champions, beating Spain 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Basel
Add two Arnold Clark Cups and the 2023 Finalissima and Wiegman, a five-time winner of the Best FIFA Women’s Coach award, has turned England from a semi-final side into the most reliable knockout team in European football.
“Sarina is an incredible coach, with an unparalleled record in major tournaments,” FA chief executive Bullingham said. Chief football officer Dan Ashworth described her as “an elite coach who has won consistently while operating at the highest tactical level”.
Why the FA moved early
Settling the contract now, rather than after Brazil 2027, removes the single largest source of uncertainty hanging over the programme. Wiegman last extended in January 2024, and in the intervening period her name has been raised in connection with jobs at both club and international level, including periodic speculation about the England men’s post. An expiring deal would have made every pre-tournament press conference a referendum on her future.
It also protects continuity through a congested cycle. England face World Cup qualification, the 2027 Nations League and the possibility of a Great Britain team at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 — a project that would require coordination between the FA and the other home nations, and one far easier to plan with a head coach under contract beyond it.
The squad Wiegman will take into that cycle is in transition. Euro 2025 was won without Mary Earps, Millie Bright and Fran Kirby, all of whom stepped away before or during the tournament, while Alessia Russo and Lauren James — both of whom scored twice against Greece — have become the attacking spine. Georgia Stanway also scored in the 5-0 win that completed an 8-1 aggregate victory.
Ukraine first, Germany later
The immediate business is qualification. England meet Ukraine over two legs in the second round of the European play-offs, with the away leg on 26 November and the return at Wembley on Saturday 5 December, kicking off at 17:30 GMT. Win it and the European champions travel to Brazil; lose it and Wiegman’s new contract begins with the most damaging result of her England tenure.
Beyond that lies Germany 2029, a 16-team tournament spread across Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich and Wolfsburg after the DFB won the hosting vote last December. Should England get there as holders, Wiegman would be attempting a third consecutive European title — and a seventh straight major final.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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