England captain Millie Bright says the Lionesses are ready to play the ‘game of our lives’ against Spain in their first World Cup final.

The 29-year-old defender has urged her team mates to approach the most important match in their history the same as any other.

Bright said: “I think for us we live in the moment, and yes it’s a World Cup final, but for us our mentality is it’s another game.

“I think our preparations don’t change no matter the stage in the tournament and to me that’s the key part of preparation.

Cambs Times: Sarina Wiegman's team will treat the final the same as any other gameSarina Wiegman's team will treat the final the same as any other game (Image: Zac Goodwin/PA)

“I want our players to prepare in any way they need to, like they normally do, and we’ve got a game plan that we have to go out and execute, but I think everyone knows how big this is.

“I think it’s been players’ dreams for years.

“We know how passionate our nation is back home and how much they want us to win. But for us, there is a process. We have a game plan to execute. We need to play the game of our lives.”

Lionesses to treat final the same as any other game 

Sarina Wiegman, England’s boss, appointed Bright as captain of the team after Leah Williamson, who captained the Lionesses in 2022 when they won the Euros, was ruled out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury ahead of the World Cup.

Williamson will be watching from the stands on Sunday when the Lionesses walk out at the 75,000-plus seat Stadium Australia, led by Chelsea’s Bright, who insisted she would be thinking more about the squad than the symbol on her sleeve.

She said: “It’s massive, but it’s massive for the team. I think it’s always ‘we before me’ for me.

“I’ve always said, no matter whether I’ve got the armband or not, it’s a huge privilege and honour and I think it will be the biggest moment in our careers.”

Sarina Wiegman has already become the first manager to lead two sides to the World Cup final – the other team being the Netherlands four years ago.

She said: “Playing a final is really special. I know that. I never take anything for granted.

“Playing in another is really special, but we’re just preparing for the game. Yes, it is a final, but we don’t do anything different than we do normally.

“When you go so far in the tournament people get more and more excited and that’s what you see.”