England's manager Sarina Wiegman is set to lead Britain if they qualify for the women's football tournament at Paris 2024 ©Getty Images

England manager Sarina Wiegman is set to lead Great Britain's women's football team if they qualify for next year's Olympic Games in Paris.

Unlike the International Olympic Committee which recognises only Britain, FIFA and UEFA allow its member nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete in international football.

This has created an unusual situation whereby only England's performance as the highest-ranked nation of the four counts towards football qualification for Paris 2024, and it has been further complicated by drawing Scotland in League A of the inaugural UEFA Women's Nations League.

Scottish players would be eligible to represent Britain at Paris 2024, but could harm their prospects if they take points off England in Group A1.

The Netherlands and Belgium also feature in Group A1, which England must top and then win their UEFA Women's Nations League Finals semi-final for Britain to earn one of the two European places along with hosts France at Paris 2024.

Wiegman led her native Netherlands to the UEFA Women's Championship in 2017, then repeated the feat with England last year after taking over as manager in 2021.

She also guided England to the final of this year's FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time, but they lost to Spain.

Unlike FIFA and UEFA competitions, players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland play under the British flag at the Olympic Games ©Getty Images
Unlike FIFA and UEFA competitions, players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland play under the British flag at the Olympic Games ©Getty Images

"My full focus is on the Nations League campaign, but I would of course be very excited if the chance came to lead Team GB next summer," Wiegman said.

"It would be an honour.

"The Olympic Games is such a special sporting event and, for women's football, one of the biggest stages to play.

"That is the goal, but we know it cannot happen if we don't do our job in the Nations League."

England are set to face Scotland in their first Group A1 match at Sunderland's Stadium of Light tomorrow.

Britain debuted in women's football at the Olympic Games on home soil at London 2012, but did not compete at Rio 2016 after the four Member Associations from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland failed to reach an agreement.

They returned at Tokyo 2020, but lost in the quarter-finals to Australia when they were managed by then-England interim manager Hege Riise.

Britain has not competed in men's football at the Olympics since London 2012 with opposition from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.