England coach Sarina Wiegman says she is focused on 'growth' after the Lionesses were beaten by Spain in the 2023 World Cup final – and offered no guarantees she would still be in charge when the tournament comes around again in four years.
Wiegman's side were beaten 1-0 by a superior Spain side in Sydney, leaving the Dutch coach as a runner-up for the second successive World Cup, having led the Netherlands to the final against USA in 2019.
Asked if this latest defeat would motivate her and the England players to go one better in 2027, she said: "Four years is a long time.
"We have a very short turnaround but we'll start in September with Scotland and the Netherlands in the Nations League to qualify for the Olympics.
"You want to improve all the time. That's what I see, this group of players are so eager to be successful so every next moment we want to grab and be better. Growth is one of the things that is really in this team."
The 53-year-old could not hide her disappointment at that result, but did say she hoped for 'new moments' with this team in future.
“I’m just hurt about this moment," she said. "Losing a game and in a final, when you’re in a final you want to win it," said Wiegman.
“I was totally convinced before the game that it would be a very tight game but we were confident that we were able to win it.
"I hope in the future I get a new moment with the team I work with, that would be amazing, because it’s very special to play finals.”
And she admitted that Spain, who came close to beating England at the Euros last year before a late equaliser changed the game, had been worthy winners.
"No regrets," she said. "We gave it everything we could. We tried different tactics. You have to give credit to Spain. Over the tournament they played the best football, so congratulations to Spain."
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Alex Greenwood tells FourFourTwo that England have changed more mentality-wise than ability-wise, with manager Sarina Wiegman imperative to that.
And Wiegman's success with the Lionesses has seen her linked with the England men's team as a possible successor to Gareth Southgate, with the FA saying she would be under consideration for the role.
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