England defender Millie Bright announces retirement from international football

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·13 ottobre 2025

England defender Millie Bright announces retirement from international football

The Chelsea star racked up 88 caps and helped the Lionesses to win the 2022 Euros

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dom Smith

OneFootball Video

Sign up

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Chelsea captain Millie Bright has announced her retirement from international football with immediate effect.

Speaking on the podcast ‘The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness’, which she co-hosts with friend and former England team-mate Rachel Daly, Bright said it was a decision she had been “weighing up for a long time”.

The 32-year-old centre-back won 88 caps for England, making her debut in 2016 and captaining her country to the final of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the absence of injured skipper Leah Williamson.

The Chelsea stalwart played at the European Championships in 2017 and 2022, when the Lionesses won the tournament on home soil. She also competed at the 2019 World Cup in France.

But on June 4 this summer, she announced she would not be available for selection Euro 2025, saying she was unable to give “100 per cent mentally or physically” ahead of the tournament. England went on to win the European Championships and defend their crown in her absence.

On Monday, she announced her retirement on her podcast, saying: “I’ve been weighing this up for a long time. It’s one of those decisions no one can make for you. It’s a feeling and I’m at peace with it.

“Having the summer to reflect, fix my knee, and get my head straight really put things into perspective. As you get older, your priorities change. I’ve been craving family time, time with friends, and time for myself.

“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to have played for England for so long. Every single cap has been special and the memories I’ve made, especially with this one sat opposite me [Daly], have been some of the best of my life. But it’s time. It’s the right time for me to call it a day with England.”

She added: “I watched in the summer and there wasn’t one part of me that thought I’d made the wrong decision. Physically, I’m at that crossroads. Can I be 50 per cent for each, for England and for Chelsea? I want to be all in. To give myself the best chance of doing that and be the best for my club, I probably need to rein it in a little bit.”

In an FA statement, England head coach Sarina Wiegman: “Millie will forever be an England legend for what she has given to her country, and I could never have enough words to praise her impact during my time.

“Whether she had the armband or not, she is a true leader. I know how much respect there is for Millie within the game – not just because she has won so many trophies but because of the way she conducts herself.

“She has made such a big contribution to English football both on and off the pitch and we all have a lot to thank her for. Even though her playing time with the Lionesses may be over, I know she has so much more to give the game.”

The FA have plans to honour Bright’s contribution to England ahead of a future Lionesses international.