England defender Lucy Bronze has revealed she played the entirety of Euro 2025 with a serious injury, following the Lionesses' historic win over Spain to retain their title on Sunday. Sarina Wiegman's side secured their place in the knockout rounds by finishing second in a difficult group, before edging past Sweden on penalties in the quarter-finals. They then faced Italy in the last four and were once again pushed to 120 minutes, progressing thanks to a last-gasp penalty in extra-time. Bronze started every game for England out in Switzerland and was only withdrawn late on in the group matches against the Netherlands and Wales, when the result had already been secured. She played every minute of the knockout games against Sweden and Italy. Against Spain, Bronze struggled to contain the threat of Mariona Caldentey as England fell behind in the first half. Alessia Russo later brought them level, but for the first time in the knockouts, Bronze couldn’t continue. The experienced defender initially went down holding her knee during extra-time in Basel, sparking concern over whether she would be able to carry on. She eventually left the pitch in tears, replaced by Chelsea teammate Niamh Charles, but England went on to lift the trophy after a dramatic penalty shootout. Speaking post-match, Bronze revealed the extent of her injury, admitting she had been playing through pain for the entire campaign. "I've actually played the entire tournament with a fractured tibia but no one knew," she told the BBC after the game. "I've just hurt my knee today on the other leg. I think that's why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game, because I've been in a lot of pain. "That's what it takes to play for England. That's what I'll do." Having played such a crucial role, Bronze now also holds the record for the most appearances at a major tournament for England. She made her senior Lionesses debut in June 2013 and has been ever-present since. Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United and Manchester City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube . Make sure you don't miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get the club's breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .