Football: England coach Wiegman receives a knighthood

Under the 56-year-old Dutchwoman Wiegman, the English women won the European Championships in 2025 and 2022 and were runners-up in the world championships in 2023. In the final, the Lionesses had to admit defeat to the Spaniards. Wiegman was recently honored as FIFA World Coach for the fifth time.

Southgate also received a gong

Wiegman, who has been in office since 2021, was delighted with the award. “When I arrived in England, I could never have imagined how much respect and warmth I would receive from the people of England,” she said, according to the British news agency PA.

The former coach of the England men’s national team, Gareth Southgate, had already received the gong, as the award is jokingly called in Great Britain, at the turn of the year last year. He tried in vain for a title with the Three Lions. Since then he has been allowed to call himself Sir. However, as a non-British woman, Wiegman has to forego the corresponding title Dame.