Wiegman must up the ante for England to make history

The boss has reached five major finals in a row, but needs to make changes to guide the Lionesses to glory again. By Simon Collings

- By Simon Collings

Sarina Wiegman and England dream of retaining their European crown on Sunday — but one coronation has already taken place. The Lionesses are clearly the “Queens of Comebacks” at Euro 2025 after their remarkable run to the final.

Wiegman joked following Tuesday's dramatic semifinal win over Italy that England's feats under her will one day be made into a film, but she may well be right. This is an unprecedented level of success for an England national team, with the Lionesses set to compete in the final of a major tournament for the third time in a row.

Wiegman is breaking records too, becoming the first manager — in the men's or women's game — to reach five successive major international tournament finals and could be in line to receive an honorary damehood. The road to this latest final has been turbulent. England's performances in Switzerland have been defined more by grit than guile. They have led for a total of just five minutes in their knockout matches, with Chloe Kelly's winning goal in the 119th minute against Italy the latest in Women's Euros history.

England have found a way to win when they have looked down and out. Now, on Sunday, they need one more victory to cement their place in history.

Don’t leave it too late

If the Lionesses are to make history this weekend, they will need to improve their performances.

After an opening 2-1 defeat by France, England have been on the back foot and effectively playing knockout football ever since. The pressure was mounting at that point, with the Lionesses risking becoming the first holders of a Women's Euros title to exit at the group stage. The response was emphatic — a 4-0 demolition of the Netherlands — and it was followed by a 6-1 thumping of Wales to ensure England finished second in Group D.