England defender Lucy Bronze revealed she played through the entirety of Euro 2025 with a fractured tibia after becoming a two-time European champion with the Lionesses.
Bronze, 33, is the oldest member of England’s squad and started all six games during the tournament, including their dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Spain in the final. Bronze also defied injury to play a key part in England’s quarter-final comeback over Sweden.
The right back was eventually forced off with a knee injury during extra time of the final and could not walk on the pitch during England’s celebrations in Basel, requiring a piggyback from goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse when the Lionesses ran towards their fans.
“I’ve played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia but nobody knew and I’ve hurt my knee today,” Bronze told the BBC moments after the final whistle. “Which is why the girls gave me a lot of love after the Sweden game.
“It’s very painful but I’m going to party. We never lost belief in ourselves. There was a lot of noise on the outside but we stuck together. To go to extra time back to back to back is incredible. We give each other energy and what we’ve done today is incredible.”
England’s players have praised Bronze’s grit and determination throughout Euro 2025, with manager Wiegman saying the defender was “one of a kind” following the quarter-final win over Sweden.
“Her mentality, the whole team has an incredible mentality, but she has a crazy mentality, it’s unbelievable,” Wiegman said.
England defeated world champions Spain to avenge their World Cup final defeat to the same opposition in 2023, a result that makes the Lionesses the first England team to win a major tournament on foreign soil.
“I don’t think we were thinking too much about the World Cup (final defeat),” Bronze said. “ It always goes that they win, then we win, then they win so it was our turn today.
“To win on penalties is an amazing feeling but to lose on penalties is the worst feeling. They’re great players, they’ve achieved a lot. It wasn’t meant for them today, it was meant for England. We’ve shown resilience and fight.”
