Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Lionesses receive heartwarming homecoming as attention turns to next game

In an interview with England Football Sarina Wiegman sat down to discuss and reflect on the Women’s World Cup and the journey that took England all the way to the final.

“Of course, I’m very disappointed that we didn’t win. But most of all, I’m proud of the team,” she said, “Considering how we performed during the tournament and all the challenges we faced before and during the tournament, how we grew into the tournament and we stuck together to play our best game, I think we’ve done really well.

“So I’m proud of the team. I’m a little disappointed but Spain were really good, too. They were fine margins but they played just a little bit better.

“I’ve seen some of the players this morning. They are still waking up. Last night, we all came together with our families and friends. Now we’re heading home, disappointed, but also proud.

“Before the tournament we had a lot of challenges and then in the tournament we had challenges. The team adapted all the time and showed resilience.

“It’s such a pleasure to work with this group. There’s so much commitment and eagerness to improve and to grow and do better every single day.”

Luis Rubiales, the Spanish FA president at the centre of a storm following the Women’s World Cup final, has been caught making an obscene gesture during celebrations at full-time.

Rubiales came under fire in the aftermath of Spain’s 1-0 win over England in Sydney for kissing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso on the lips on the presentation stage.

Asked about the moment, Hermoso intially said: “Eh... yeah, I did not enjoy that.” Later, via quotes put out by the Spanish FA, she described the kiss with the organisation’s president as “mutual and spontaneous”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has become the first out of the blocks to call for the Lionesses to be given honours after they came runners-up in the Women’s World Cup.

Sarina Wiegman’s England side suffered disappointment after losing 1-0 to Spain in the final held in Sydney, Australia.

But Sir Keir said the Lionesses had “galvanised the whole nation through their historic achievement” after becoming the first senior women’s England team to make the final two in a World Cup competition.

Captain Millie Bright is confident England will emerge a stronger side after processing the gut-wrenching reality of finishing as World Cup runners-up.

The Lionesses overcame obstacles and disproved doubters over the expanded month-long competition, which for the first time saw 32 teams whittled down to two, Spain and England, who were both making their debuts in the showpiece final.

Olga Carmona’s first-half strike in Sydney proved enough to send La Roja home with the trophy, while England were reminded that football can be a game of cruel inches after Lauren Hemp’s near-opener pinged off the crossbar.

England captain Millie Bright said the Lionesses are “heartbroken” after an agonising defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.

Olga Carmona’s first-half strike settled the Sydney final as England’s bid to win their first World Cup in 57 years came up short.

The Lionesses were given hope when Mary Earps brilliantly saved Jenni Hermoso’s penalty, but Sarina Wiegman’s side were unable to find the equaliser.

Read the full reaction from members of the England camp below:

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham would not rule out the possibility that Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman could one day lead the England men’s team.

The 53-year-old’s stock as a serial winner has risen steadily since securing the European Championship trophy with her native Netherlands in 2017, then doing the same with England last summer.

She has now guided England to a first-ever World Cup final, in the process becoming the only manager to do so with two different nations in the women’s showpiece after steering her home country to the same stage four years ago.

The Football Association will resist any USA approach for Sarina Wiegman, chief executive Mark Bullingham has said. He also insisted that the ongoing players’ bonuses dispute is now merely a “matter of time” rather than detail, and revealed the FA will also seek to host the Women’s World Cup themselves.

Wiegman is now one game away from a history double, as she took a senior English national team to a World Cup final for the first time. That has naturally attracted interest from the USA, whose coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned after a huge underperformance that saw the deposed world champions eliminated in the last 16.

Bullingham said the FA would “100 per cent” reject any approach.

“It is not about money. We are very, very happy with her and we feel she is happy. I think that is the answer.”

The Prince of Wales has shared a message of consolation with the Lionesses after their defeat against Spain at the World Cup final.

Spain’s women’s football team beat England 1-0 in the final, the first time since 1966 that any England football team had reached a World Cup final. In response to the disappointing result, William sent an encouraging message to the team on social media.

“Although it’s the result none of us wanted, @Lionesses you have done yourselves and this nation proud,” he wrote on Sunday afternoon.

“Your spirit & drive have inspired so many people and paved the way for generations to come. Thank you for the footballing memories.”

He concluded his message by sharing a message of congratulations to Spain, before signing off with his initial, “W”.

England had covered the gaps, they had filled the holes. They had adjusted, adapted, repositioned, created a new formation, and reached a first World Cup final. Then England changed again.

Down 1-0 in the World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman went for a last roll of the dice, a double substitution that saw Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly brought off and Lauren James and Chloe Kelly come on. That 3-5-2 that was England’s revelation of the tournament, that changed their World Cup? It was binned. England went back to 4-3-3. They disposed of the wing-backs and brought on the wingers. They stopped pressing Spain and abandoned their plan.

But perhaps Wiegman and England needed to stick with their conviction. For the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses did not find the changes that were required. James and Kelly brought moments of improvement, but the truth is that England were at their most dangerous when Lauren Hemp and Russo were combining as a front two. Hemp’s switch to a central role took away the threat that was everywhere in the first half, and left Wiegman searching for something else. On came Beth England. Up went Millie Bright. But this was a situation England could not overcome.

Read Jamie Braidwood’s full report from Sydney:

Spain’s World Cup winner, Aitana Bonmati was left almost speechless after her side’s 1-0 win against England to win the Women’s World Cup.

Bonmati, who has been a lynchpin of the Spanish side throughout the tournament, put in another solid display as Spain’s captain, Olga Carmona, fired them to a famous victory in Australia.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, she said: “I don’t have any words for this moment, it’s unbelievable. I’m so proud because he had a great tournament. We suffered but we enjoyed and we deserve it.

“Everyone knew the goal at the beginning of the tournament. Everyone is competitive, everyone has a strong mentality to win. We have been working for a lot of years for this moment and now we have it. We have the trophy.”