Emma Hayes has praised Sarina Wiegman, the England manager, as a "national treasure" for her remarkable achievements in football management. Since taking charge in 2021, Wiegman has led England to three
major finals consecutively. This includes winning the European Championship titles in both 2022 and 2025. Despite a narrow 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2023 World Cup final, her team avenged this defeat by retaining their European crown with a 3-1 penalty victory over La Roja.
Hayes, who guided the United States to Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, has encountered Wiegman once during her career. The match between the USA and England ended in a goalless draw in November 2024. Hayes expressed admiration for Wiegman's ability to consistently find ways to win and highlighted their positive relationship from her time at Chelsea.
Luis Enrique and Sarina Wiegman, by far elected coaches of the year! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/Jkxdnzpirj
- Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 27, 2025
Wiegman's tenure as England's coach is marked by an impressive record of four penalty shootout victories, maintaining a perfect success rate. Chloe Kelly played a crucial role by scoring the decisive goal in three of these shootouts. Hayes acknowledged Wiegman's exceptional mentality and expressed anticipation for future encounters where they might be rivals again.
"I mean where do you begin? She's done it all. Done it all as a player, a coach, she's done it two different countries," Hayes stated during an exclusive interview with Stats Perform. She emphasized that despite being rivals on the field, they continue to support each other off it.
Hayes believes that Wiegman deserves recognition for her contributions to football and is confident that many share this sentiment. "We support each other and she's a national treasure and deserves the recognition and I'm sure everybody is very grateful for her just as I am," Hayes added.
The mutual respect between Hayes and Wiegman underscores their shared commitment to advancing women's football globally. Their professional journeys highlight significant achievements across different countries and competitions.
