Wiegman and Hayes are on a collision course for the 2027 Women's World Cup

England and the United States are the two powerhouses of women’s football. Sarina Wiegman and Emma Hayes are the game’s best managers. So, with three years to go until the next World Cup, it feels as if the pair are on a collision course to go head-to-head for glory.

That will be the narrative on these shores and across the pond - though there are plenty of other nations who will be in the mix come 2027.

A lot can change in three years. The US are currently going through a transition period. Hayes must find a way to blood the talented young players coming through while managing the exits of the more experienced stars who are nearing the end of their careers.

England are at a slightly different stage. They too have a number of players who are unlikely to still be around in 2027. But there are also many in the team who already have tournament experience and who have not yet reached their peak.

The news that Wiegman had extended her contract until the end of the 2027 World Cup came out of the blue. She had been contracted until the end of the 2025 Euros and there were questions marks over whether she would stay beyond that tournament.

There were a number of factors for Wiegman to consider. After winning a Euros and reaching a World Cup final, the risk was that England would stagnate or go backwards. Was managing the Lionesses still the exciting challenge it was two years ago?

Equally, Wiegman has lost two World Cup finals and is desperate to have another shot at winning that prize. With Hayes now manager of the US, where else could she have gone to give herself one more chance?

Wiegman and Hayes going up against each other for England and the US is undeniably the match up that everybody wants to see.

‘You never know. It’s