Wiegman targets WC glory at FWA

England manager Sarina Wiegman remains determined to deliver more success as she sets her sights on building towards World Cup glory.

Wiegman was awarded an honorary damehood in the New Year Honours after leading the Lionesses to a successful defence of their European Championship title.

The 56-year-old Dutchwoman was guest of honour to receive the 2026 Football Writers' Association tribute award in London on Sunday evening.

Despite all of the accolades following another memorable Euros triumph last summer, Wiegman is fully focused on the challenges ahead in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil having finished runners-up to Spain at the last tournament.

"That really drives me, but you want to win games, that's the job," Wiegman said in an interview with the FWA.

"But how to get there, you can't always control whether you're going to win or not going to win.

"What you can control is being at your best and being the best prepared and the best bonded team. And that's what we're working on every single day."

Wiegman added: "And I never take for granted winning. We've seen this last summer, how close it is, even in the quarter-final, how close it is to win or lose. But where can you find that edge to just make it happen?

"And you need to be at your best, you need to be best connected and sometimes you need a little bit of luck too. But when you do it a lot of times, then it's not just luck.

"So how big is the chance of making a final? It's not that big, even when you're one of the favourites. But I don't care whether the chance is this big or is this big. We're going for that chance. And what do we have to do to make that happen?

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"So for myself, I said, 'OK, what do I think that's necessary to do?' Not only football, because connecting people is just as [important], maybe even more, with the talent we have. So that's what I'm working on now."

Several of the successful Lionesses squad also received honours, which Wiegman believes is testament to how far the women's game has come.

"It's all about the team, but also as women's football," she said.

"There's so many people that are not visible, have done it for years and years, some a little longer than others, paved the way for us. And I'm the lucky one that stepped in at the right moment."