'Four years is a long time' - England boss Sarina Wiegman brushes off talk of 2027 Women's World Cup after Lionesses' defeat to Spain

• Wiegman coy on England future beyond current deal
• Lionesses boss' contract runs until 2025
• Has been linked with United States job

WHAT HAPPENED? England were defeated 1-0 by Spain in the World Cup final in Sydney, with Olga Carmona's first half strike the difference on the night. There have been a lot of rumours about head coach Wiegman's future in recent weeks, with her touted as a possible target to replace outgoing United States boss Vlatko Andonovski in particular, and when asked about returning to this stage with England in 2027, she was non-committal.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Four years is a long time," Wiegman said in her post-match press conference, asked if the defeat will motivate her and her players to return and fight for the 2027 Women's World Cup title. "We have a very short turnaround but we’ll start in September with Scotland and the Netherlands in the Nations League to qualify for the Olympics. You want to improve all the time. That’s what I see, this group of players are so eager to be successful so every next moment we want to grab and be better. Growth is one of the things that is really in this team."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Wiegman's current contract runs until 2025, after the Euros that same year at which England will be the defending champions. As the best coach in the international game, it's been no surprise to see her linked with other jobs and Mark Bullingham, the CEO of the Football Association, even saying that he would consider her for the England men's team post.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND? England will return to action in September in the new UEFA Women's Nations League, facing Scotland in their first fixture in the competition.