Lucy Bronze relives her EURO 2025 journey in pictures

It's been some year for Lucy Bronze, embarking on major tournament number seven with the Lionesses and being crowned a two-time European champion.

As 2025 draws to a close, the England and Chelsea defender looks back on some of her highlights from UEFA Women's EURO 2025 in photo form.

'Like kids at Christmas'

There was such a big buzz. Going with LJ [Lauren James], it was her first EUROs. She had such an impact on the England team so young, so being around players like that and sharing moments, just travelling, getting there and seeing the excitement and the buzz.

I remember walking around the hotel that evening with Maya [Le Tissier] and Aggie [Beever-Jones] and their jaws hit the floor a few times, just being overawed with excitement. We stayed in such an amazing place. That first day, I think every single person including the staff were like kids at Christmas opening their presents, seeing everything that we had!

'This is literally just the beginning'

I actually had to do the Diary Room on the first day, as well, so it was nice to reminisce because I’ve been in that position a few times. I remember the last Diary Room I did at a World Cup, I was with Jordan Nobbs, so I was just reminiscing over old tournaments and just being sat there on the first day, knowing that all the excitement is just about to start.

Everyone was buzzing about the hotel and I’m just thinking, ‘this is literally just the beginning’, having been there so many times, just knowing this is when it really kicks off.

'A make-or-break moment'

I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment where I’ve felt like that. Obviously, I’m a defender so I don’t really score winning goals and goals that mean so much. It just being such a make-or-break moment, that emotion was just something I’ve never felt before. I just remember all the fans behind and just letting out a huge scream and being so excited.

Actually, after the game, I saw a video of my mum watching that penalty and she was so petrified. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking about anything else – just hitting the ball as hard as I could in the back of the net and just letting out all of that emotion that had been building up throughout that game.

'You get a moment to take in the atmosphere'

That picture looks very picturesque but it actually wasn’t! It’s always nice to get out of the hotel together. We all just walk together and chat about such random things. We have a little meeting before then we go for a walk and people probably think we’re talking about football.

I think there was a banana factory there or something and that’s what we’re talking about on that picture, hence why we’re laughing at it. It was just nice moments. Some moments before games, there’s fans around so you get a moment to take in a bit of the atmosphere.

'I was exhausted'

My body was in a lot of pain by this point and Anna [Moorhouse] was probably the only one who was strong enough to lift me! I was so lucky when I looked around and she was like, ‘do you want to get on my back?’ I was like, ‘I’ve never been so happy to see you, BFG!’

It was a nice moment to just celebrate and obviously having played so many minutes, I was exhausted, so nice to be able to have my teammate carry me around the pitch for a little bit!

'They're just excited to throw confetti around'

That’s my niece and my nephew. They’ve been to so many tournaments – they were at the EUROs that we won, they came to Australia. They don’t have any idea of the magnitude of the things that I’ve done. Even winning the EUROs then and I take them on the pitch and they’re so excited with confetti whereas they don’t realise I’ve just played in this crazy tournament with pressure and penalties and injuries and drama and madness. They’re just excited to throw confetti around!

My family come to as many tournaments as they can and my niece and nephew especially are the two that help me appreciate the moments that I am in. They’re happy to have a laugh and a smile with me but it’s nice that they get to experience it, as well. Maybe when they’re older, they’ll realise what they’ve actually been able to do because I think a lot of children would love to have opportunities that they do.

'You're still running on adrenaline'

It was a very long day. The flight was actually delayed but I think it was one of those days where you’re still running on adrenaline. We didn’t get a lot of sleep that night, flew back and then the day was spent getting changed, going to Parliament and going out for dinner together, seeing our families again.

I look back on it and I think we had a day-and-a-half together back in England and it felt like a whole other week because of the amount of things that we got through. It’s that moment where you finally get to relax a bit because you’re so tired but your body somehow keeps going. I went on holiday the next week and I think I slept two days in a row for about 14 hours or something silly.

'A real historic day'

We did Trafalgar Square in 2022 and we knew were going back to something but to have that level of fandom and support in London was incredible. To see all the people who came out to support us – all our families came by the stage, as well.

When you’re on the pitch, you don’t really get as many close moments to actually just be yourself and let loose a little bit. To be there and take it all in was amazing. The support and the fans, that’s one of those days that you don’t really see that happening. It’s a real historic day for women’s football but English football in general in the modern era to celebrate the nation winning a trophy.