Georgia Stanway: England's Rise Will Face Challenges

Georgia Stanway acknowledged that England’s women’s football team, the Lionesses would eventually “plateau” after their recent successes including winning Euro 2022 and reaching the Women’s World Cup final in Australia. Following a disappointing Women’s Nations League campaign and failure to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, criticism intensified after the Lionesses lost 4-3 to Germany in a recent friendly.

This marked the first time under manager Sarina Wiegman that the team conceded four goals in a match. Georgia Stanway emphasized that as expectations rise, it becomes challenging to maintain performance levels. She noted, “When the expectation is continuous, we probably cannot live up to it. I think it’s inevitable that at some point you are going to plateau.” She called for the team to adapt and evolve strategically to stay ahead of their competition.

The Lionesses will face South Africa at Coventry’s CBS Arena as they prepare for Euro 2025. Wiegman addressed questions regarding her team selection after the loss to Germany indicating there would be changes in the lineup against South Africa. She reiterated the importance of focusing on team performance rather than external criticism, stating, “What we look at is what we do as a team… Yes, we definitely have to deal with that.”

Despite the challenges, Wiegman expressed disappointment at the team’s inability to celebrate their nominations for awards at the Ballon d’Or ceremony due to their international duty. She and her players wished to attend and celebrate the achievements of women’s football, underscoring the need for better scheduling of such events to avoid conflicts with national duties.