England's star Lucy Bronze played with a broken leg at Euro 2025

Dubai: Lucy Bronze limped off the pitch with tears streaming down her face. The European Championship final was in its dying moments, and England's toughest defender could not take another step.

What the world did not know was absolutely shocking: she had been playing the entire tournament with a fractured tibia, a broken bone in her lower leg.

For two whole months, Bronze kept this painful secret. Bronze, England's most decorated footballer and making her 36th appearance at a major tournament, the most of any England player, found out she had fractured her shin bone after England beat Portugal 6-0 on May 30. But nothing would stop her from wearing the England shirt.

The 33-year-old defender made it clear to everyone that she would do absolutely anything to represent her country. Many would not even be thinking of taking such a risk, not only because it is painful but also because it could have an adverse effect on their career.

Her teammates all knew about the fracture, and so did manager Sarina Wiegman. But Bronze's mind was made up. Throughout Euro 2025, Bronze carefully managed her pain with limited medication. She could not train properly with the rest of the squad, yet she started every single match, playing nearly 600 minutes across the tournament.

Only Hannah Hampton (630), Alex Greenwood (625), and Keira Walsh (599) played more minutes at Euro 2025. Against Sweden in the quarterfinals, she strapped up her injured leg herself, scored the goal that got England back in the game, and then calmly converted the penalty that sent them through to the semi-finals.

After winning the cup, when asked if playing through such agony was worth it, Bronze did not hesitate for a second. The answer was absolutely yes. Her superhuman sacrifice helped England win their second consecutive European Championship, proving that when you are determined to do something, even physical pain cannot stop you from achieving it. She is a brave lioness indeed.