The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is fast approaching and nations will be fine-tuning their plans and team tactics ahead of the start of the tournament. One nation’s record stands out above all others in recent years, and that is the USWNT.
But the USWNT are beatable, and one nation with a realistic chance of stopping the US Women from winning a third straight World Cup is England. And England’s most potent weapon could be their head coach, Sarina Wiegman.
England second favourite to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup
The bookmakers believe England has a genuine chance to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time. The US Women are the favourites at 5/2. But England is the second favourite for a bet on Women’s World Cup with Paddy Power at 4/1. Spain, another tactically astute side, is third in the betting at 5/1. With the Germans at football betting odds of 7/1.
The USWNT are certainly the team to beat. After all, they have the best record of any nation in the competition. They are already four times winners, and they have also won the previous two in 2015 and 2019.
Keeping it ????
“Our goal is to win the World Cup there is no question about it” – Head coach Vlatko Andonovski ????????#USWNT // @FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/C34CnWUsDJ
— 90min_US (@90min_us) July 3, 2023
But what offers hope to the England Women’s team and the other contending nations, is that the US are not as far ahead as they have been at the previous two World Cups. They are the favourites. But not massive favourites. And that suggests that the other nations have started to catch the USWNT up. But have they got close enough to topple the defending champions?
Can Sarina Wiegman be the difference?
For a long time, England was regarded as outsiders with a puncher’s chance at big international women’s football tournaments. But since the English hired Sarina Wiegman in 2021, that seems to have changed.
Aided by significant investment in the Women’s Super League, the England Women’s team has continued to get better. But with the arrival of a proven winner like Wiegman on the scene, the English national team has taken that significant step forward from being a team with an outside chance to a genuine contender.
This was never better highlighted than when Wiegman led the Lionesses to the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 title last year.
Sarina Wiegman made history last summer leading the Lionesses to win their first major European trophy.
She led Netherlands to win the Women’s Euros in 2017.
She’s now been named FIFA’s Best Women’s Coach. Well deserved ???? pic.twitter.com/f2IWQHDuvu
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) February 27, 2023
And as well as winning the Women’s Euros with England, Wiegman had also previously led her native Netherlands to win the competition in 2017. This is what makes her such an asset going into a World Cup.
Proven winner
In short, Sarina Wiegman is a proven winner. If she’s given the tools to do the job, she has proven that she can complete it.
But winning a World Cup for England will take an ever greater improvement. The USWNT will expect to win, not hope. And the Spanish will also be a huge threat, especially now their players’ revolt is over.
But what Wiegman will bring to the England Women’s team is the same self-belief the US Women have. Like the way the US Women will expect to win, so will England. Wiegman knows mental toughness is an important factor, just like tactics and team formations are.
She will ensure that England goes into the World Cup expecting to win it, focused, organised, and ready. And that’s what makes Sarina Wiegman England’s most deadly weapon.
