Touching moment Lucy Bronze consoles rumoured girlfriend and rival Ona Batlle

Daily Mirror

11 hours ago

Lioness legend Lucy Bronze helped England clinch the Euro Cup on Sunday night, but despite their success, the defender made sure to comfort Spanish footballer Ona Batlle in an emotional moment
The Lioness squad celebrated a triumphant victory on Sunday night, securing the Euro Cup for the second consecutive time. However, their win came as a crushing blow to Spain, which saw Ona Batlle comforted by England's Lucy Bronze amid rumours of their romance.
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In a thrilling penalty shootout against Spain, following an exhausting 120-minute final, the Lionesses emerged victorious. Mariona Caldentey initially put Spain ahead with a header in the 25th minute, but England's Alessia Russo equalised with a headed goal from Chloe Kelly's cross after half-time.
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During the nerve-wracking shootout, Lioness goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made a series of remarkable saves before Kelly stepped up to score the winning penalty following Sama Paralluelo's miss. Celebrations erupted across the Swiss stadium with 'Sweet Caroline' blasted through the speakers as the England squad soaked up their win.
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But breaking away from celebrations with her team, defender Lucy Bronze was seen comforting Spanish footballer Ona Batlle. In a heartwarming moment, Bronze sat beside Batlle on the pitch, who was fighting tears over their defeat against England, and offered some emotional support.
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Later, Bronze sporting their gold winner's medal around her neck and Batlle having changed into her tracksuit, took a stroll around the stadium in another touching nod of support. Just a few years ago, the roles were reversed when Spain beat England during the women's World Cup final in 2023.
After Spain took victory two years ago, Batlle was spotted consoling Bronze, who was in floods of tears on the sidelines. The Spanish player had her arms around a teary Bronze, who was sitting down wearing the iconic Lioness pink and blue coat from that year.
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Bronze and Batlle, who were previously teammates at Barcelona, appear to have struck up a close relationship over the years and have hinted at a possible romance. While neither of the pair has gone official, they have shared a series of cosy snaps together on social media.
Just weeks before the Euros kicked off in Switzerland, Bronze and Batlle enjoyed a sun-soaked getaway together. In a series of photos shared on Instagram, Lucy wrote the caption: "Few days of sun," while Ona commented with a heart-eyed emoji.
One snap from a trip saw the pair posing for a mirror selfie, where they look particularly close. They even took a trip to Disneyland Paris together in December last year, where they shared another sweet snap alongside each other.
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Bronze and Batlle are thought to have sparked up a close bond when they both played for Barcelona during the 2023-24 season. During this time, they won the Champions League, Liga F, the Spanish Cup, and the Spanish Super Cup together.
Bronze moved back to Chelsea last summer as a right-back, while Batlle remains as a full-back for Barcelona.
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Sensationally, Bronze revealed that she played the 2025 Euro final with a fractured tibia. She revealed after the final match: "I've actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia but no one knew. Then 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, but that's what it takes to play for England."
She added: "That's what I'll do. They know that, I think we inspire each other by playing through things like that, and they got us to the end of them in the end. It was very painful but I'm gonna party and gonna enjoy it, that's it."
Last month, she opened up about her hopes of one day starting a family, saying it's the one thing she's "dying" to do. "My brother's got two kids and that's what I'm most jealous of, seeing my niece and nephew. But there's plenty of time for that – and what that looks like, I don't know," she told Women's Health.