Sarina Wiegman’s “fairytale” rise to the top of soccer began as a savior.
In the fall of 2016, she was a 47-year-old assistant coach of a Netherlands women’s national team stumbling toward the 2017 Euros. To many throughout the sport, just seven years ago, her name was unknown.
Now it’s on the tips of tongues from Australia to England to the United States. Wiegman is the undisputed best coach in international women’s soccer, she’s 90 minutes from World Cup glory, and she’s the most-fancied candidate for the U.S. women’s national team coaching vacancy — all because she seized one opportunity and never looked back.