Sarina Wiegman is confident in her team’s abilities heading into 2023.
England, the reigning Euros champions, have found a new level in 2022 with Wiegman at the helm. But for the Lionesses boss, winning the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is paramount.
“You can’t beat that – you can only get equal on that,” Wiegman told The Guardian when asked about the team’s year. “We actually don’t talk about these results all the time. We want to win every game, but we talk about how we can improve the next game.
“Of course, we want to break all the records, but breaking a record doesn’t say what you have to do. We always bring it back: How do we stick together as a team? I truly believe that’s where it starts.”
The upcoming World Cup could bring about a sense of déjà vu for the coach. Wiegman lost to the United States in the 2019 final as head coach of the Netherlands.
“I’m not about revenge; I’m not really vengeful,” she said. “I don’t really think that way. At that time, they were the better team, although I thought after halftime we could have won that game until the penalty.”
Even while she tries to keep perspective, winning is always on Wiegman’s mind.
“Don’t always think of the result,” she said. “We’re not going to a World Cup just to play, we’re going there to win.”