Wiegman Warns England Cannot Slip Up In Iceland After Gaining Edge Over Spain

Sarina Wiegman has said it is important England get nan correct consequence against Iceland successful Saturday’s World Cup qualifier to make nan triumph against Spain astatine Wembley connected Tuesday “even much valuable”.

England put themselves successful rod position successful their qualifying group pinch nan tight 1-0 triumph complete Spain, pinch Lauren Hemp’s early extremity nan difference. The European champions person 3 wins from 3 and pinch only nan apical squad from each group successful League A securing automatic qualification and avoiding nan playoffs, nan inducement to support winning is high.

Iceland are adjacent up and a affirmative consequence astatine nan Laugardalsvöllur Stadium pinch 2 games remaining successful early June – Spain successful Mallorca and Ukraine astatine nan Hill Dickinson Stadium – is “what we want”, according to Wiegman. She said: “It will beryllium a different situation but we request to make nan triumph connected Tuesday moreover much valuable by having a bully consequence tomorrow. That’s perfectly what we want to spell for, it’s different circumstances and pinch a different opponent, but we’re ready.”

Iceland are undeniably England’s easiest force successful this world window. However, teams of a akin level person posed challenges to them successful nan Nations League successful caller years, which nan World Cup qualifying format mirrors. The Lionesses lost to Belgium successful 2023 and 2025 and a draw pinch Portugal successful 2025 besides proved costly.

Wiegman concurred location are “always learnings” to return from these types of games, saying: “Of people successful those Nations League campaigns we were really disappointed that we didn’t get nan wins. We thought we could person done amended and we could person sewage them crossed nan line. So yes, we are perfectly alert this is again a caller game, a caller business pinch Iceland successful beforehand of america present successful Reykjavik, and we’re going to get fresh successful nan champion imaginable measurement and are going for a very bully capacity and a win.”

Keira Barry is nan only absence for Wiegman, pinch nan 20-year-old guardant having to time off nan squad arsenic she has “had immoderate ankle problems and she didn’t get fresh successful clip to beryllium disposable for tomorrow.” The head besides confirmed that Leah Williamson, who has not played since mid-March owed to a thigh injury, is fit. “She will train and nan last decisions we ever make aft nan session,” Wiegman said.

England players train successful Reykjavik pinch mountains successful nan distance. Photograph: Naomi Baker/The FA/Getty Images

Training took spot successful a stadium overlooked by snow-capped mountains successful Reykjavik connected Friday earlier what is nan 500th crippled successful Lionesses history. Lucy Bronze said nan milestone fixture, which was celebrated astatine Wembley and for which nan Football Association has released a constricted version warm-up shirt, “is insane” to deliberation about. “It’s crazy successful 2 ways,” said Bronze, who has 146 caps for England. “On nan 1 manus it’s only been 500, but astatine nan aforesaid clip – ohio my God – it’s 500 games.”

“It’s astonishing to beryllium a portion of nan history of nan Lionesses,” Bronze added. “It’s thing that we’ve really spoken a batch astir astatine campy this week. We had immoderate of nan older Lionesses travel successful and speak to america and stock nan history of what it intends from nan very first game. It’s conscionable bully to stock these stories truthful that erstwhile you’re putting connected nan England jersey you cognize really overmuch it intends to truthful galore people. To beryllium portion of nan 500 games is really typical for us.”

Bronze is besides affirmative astir England’s future. “It’s really exciting. I really bask each nan young players who are coming successful astatine nan minute, nan likes of Lucia [Kendall], they’re truthful confident, they’re truthful talented and I deliberation nan early of nan team’s successful very bully hands pinch nan talent that we’ve sewage coming through,” she said.

“It’s not only nan players that are presently successful this squad, our under-23s are doing really good successful Spain astatine nan infinitesimal and there’s a batch of players who are coming up successful different teams successful nan convention too. There’s a batch of talent and it’s only going to beryllium bully and bode good for early lineups.”