Sarina Wiegman urges England to move forwards in World Cup qualifier

Sarina Wiegman believes England cannot afford to sit still after their European Championship triumph because of how quickly all women’s national teams are developing.

The Lionesses play Austria at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium, south of Vienna, on Saturday night in their penultimate World Cup qualifying tie with a point enough to ensure their passage to next year’s tournament.

“When you’re satisfied with what you’re doing right now, you’ve lost – because the game develops so much and every country is so eager to improve,” said Wiegman, in the makeshift press room in a tent outside the 4,290-capacity stadium.

“The players have already said this is just the start,” she added. “This is just the beginning, a very good beginning by the way, but yes, I feel like even on 31 July we were partying but the players are already looking forward.

“We want to qualify for the World Cup, of course, that’s what we are supposed to do at the stage we’re at and then we want to be successful.”

Beating Austria is not easy. The Euro 2017 semi-finalists reached the quarter-finals in July, only to be knocked out by Germany in a gripping and gritty encounter.

“They have grown so much over the years,” Wiegman said. “In 2017 they were really good in defence but in possession they’ve grown a lot too, I think. They’ve done a great job against us but also in their Germany game they were very good. They’re a tough team, they’re very well organised, but they also want to go forward, real direct. So, we really have to be at a really high level to be successful.”

The Lionesses have beaten Austria twice in the past year, in the reverse fixture in November 2021 at the Stadium of Light and at Old Trafford in the opening game of the Euros. Both times England won