Wiegman signs England extension to 2029 as squad renewal looms
Sarina Wiegman has extended her England contract until after Euro 2029, with the task of evolving an ageing Lionesses squad while sustaining interest in the women's game now her central challenge.
Sarina Wiegman has signed a contract extension that will keep her as England head coach until after the 2029 European Championship. Since taking charge in September 2021, the Dutch coach has added two more Euros titles and another World Cup silver medal to the continental crown she won with the Netherlands in 2017, and the Football Association's chief football officer Dan Ashworth credits her with helping bring about what he called a golden age for women's football in England.
The challenge now is renewal. Wiegman's success has rested on a core group of players, and seven of those who started against Spain in June also featured in the Euro 2022 final against Germany. That 4-0 defeat in Mallorca exposed the gap to the world champions and left England needing two rounds of World Cup play-offs; they beat Greece in the first, with Ukraine to come before Christmas.
Several stalwarts will be well into their thirties by Euro 2029, including Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood, while Leah Williamson, Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway will all be 30 or older. Wiegman has handed out 24 debuts but only Lauren James, Hannah Hampton and Lucia Kendall have become established starters, though the Greece games offered minutes to Laura Blindkilde Brown, Lexi Potter, Freya Godfrey and Erica Meg Parkinson.
Record scorer Ellen White told the Women's Football Weekly podcast that the team must keep evolving rather than stay stagnant. Former goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis said on BBC Radio 5 Live that Wiegman is unafraid to cap new players and scans the country for form. Ex-captain Steph Houghton, speaking on 5 Live's Monday Night Club, pointed to Potter's debut as evidence young players are being given a platform to push established names.
Context has shifted since 2022. WSL attendances and coverage surged but interest appears to have plateaued, with early 2026-27 crowds down and only 18,587 watching England beat Greece 5-0 at King Power Stadium. Wiegman, the longest-serving female coach among the top-ranked nations, said she could not think of a better job in world football; her legacy may now rest on what comes next.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
