England women's football team lead the way in the 2026 King's New Year Honours List with manager Sarina Wiegman receiving an honorary damehood and five players recognised for services to the sport.
Arsenal 's Leah Williamson has been awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) after captaining the national team to both 2022 and 2025 European Championship wins.
Alex Greenwood ( Manchester City ), Georgia Stanway ( Bayern Munich ), Ella Toone ( Manchester United ), and Keira Walsh ( Chelsea ) have been given Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) having also played key parts in the back-to-back Euros wins. England's head of medical and team doctor Dr Ritan Mehta was also given an MBE.
Wiegman said: "I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this honour. When I first arrived in England, I could never have imagined the respect and warmth I've experienced from the English people. I deeply thank the fans for their support.
"This title is a reflection of my exceptional team of players and staff. Our team values mean that when there is recognition for one, then there is recognition for all. I want to pay tribute to every member of our Euro squad. They should all be celebrated for everything they brought to the pitch and for the positive role they play in society."
England women's first Black international and goalscorer Kerry Davis has also received an MBE for her services to football and diversity in sport.
The New Year Honours List intends to recognise achievements and service in society annually across the United Kingdom, this year naming 1,157 people from the highest honour of a knighthood and damehood to CBE, OBE and finally MBE. Honours are also given out in June, for the monarch's official birthday and anyone can nominate recipients, who are then invited to a formal ceremony at a royal household (usually Buckingham Palace).
After winning the Women's Rugby World Cup in the summer, coach John Mitchell and players Zoe Aldcroft (captain) and Marlie Packer have been awarded Orders of the British Empire (OBEs) for their services to the sport, while team-mates Ellie Kildunne, Megan Jones and Sadia Kabeya have been awarded MBEs for their services to rugby.
After two consecutive World Cup final losses in 2017 and 2022, England triumphed in London, in front of the biggest women's rugby crowd in history of 81,885. After the record-breaking tournament for the growing sport, its chair Gill Whitehead has been given an OBE.
"It has been an historic year for women's sport and I could not be more pleased to congratulate our Red Roses and Lionesses on their New Year's Honours," culture secretary Lisa Nandy said.
"To have two England teams — in two of our most loved sports — win major tournaments in the space of a few months was just extraordinary. You've united the country, inspired girls and boys everywhere to get into sport and well and truly changed the game."
Former British, European, Olympic and world champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have been awarded respective a damehood and knighthood for services to ice skating and voluntary service after an iconic career most noted for their perfect scores to win Olympic gold in 1984.
Climber Toby Roberts is the youngest to receive an award this year with an MBE at 20 after winning gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024 as a teenager.
Former world champion Paula Radcliffe was also recognised with an OBE after holding the women's marathon world record for 17 years with a time of 2:25:25.
Off the field of play, former Tottenham Hotspur executive chairman Daniel Levy, who left the club after 24 years in September, has been awarded a CBE for services to charity and community of Tottenham.
Scottish football was also well represented, with former Celtic chief executive Fergus McCann (CBE), former Hearts chair Ann Budge (OBE), former Celtic defender and European Cup winner Jim Craig (OBE), Spartans FC chair Daniel Costello (MBE) all recognised.
Finally, around the sport, Match of Day co-host Gabby Logan, and football commentator Clive Tyldesley were awarded OBEs for their services to broadcasting and to charity. Logan is the president of Muscular Dystrophy UK while Tyldesley has contributed to Soccer Aid which raises money for global aid charity Unicef.
Analysis by women's football writer Charlotte Harpur
Wiegman achieved this year what no other England manager has done: winning a major trophy overseas and defending a title.
Despite concerns about England's form heading into the tournament, she steered the Lionesses to secure back-to-back European titles — her third consecutive triumph in the competition overall. She has reached the last five consecutive major tournament finals with the Netherlands and England — a 100 per cent record that no manager has done before.
The Dutchwoman's leadership was instrumental to the Lionesses' success this summer as they came from behind in every knockout game. She exudes a sense of calm even in the craziest games but her biggest strength is bringing people together, staff and players. In a rare social media post , she acknowledged her awards (The Best FIFA Women's Coach, BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year and Dutch sports gala Coach of the Year) but most importantly to her, credited her team.
The England Football Association has reaped the awards of making such an astute appointment but Wiegman's contract is due to expire after the 2027 World Cup.
Recognition for some members of the England women's rugby World Cup winners, including Sports Personality runner-up Ellie Kildunne, also places women's sporting achievements into the mainstream.
A record 81,885 fans attended the final in which England beat Canada 33-13 at London's Twickenham Stadium, the largest women's rugby crowd in history.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
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