Why Lucy Bronze could extend her Women’s World 11 appearance record

Lucy Bronze has made FIFPRO Women’s World 11 history, earning more appearances than any other player since the award was established in 2016.

The England full-back has been voted into the team of the year by her fellow professionals for eight consecutive years and is among the 26 nominees for the 2026 edition.

Could Bronze extend her record to nine appearances? FIFPRO.org looks at her performances during the voting period, which ran from 4 August 2025 to 16 August 2026.

An injury-hit start

Bronze began the 2025/26 season recovering from injury. After winning the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 with England, Bronze needed time to recover from the stress fracture in her tibia that had affected her throughout the tournament, as well as the knee injury that forced her off during extra time in the final against Spain.

She spent several weeks recovering before returning to action in October.

League Cup success 

The Women’s League Cup was the only trophy Bronze lifted during the season, although she remained an important figure for Chelsea.

She started all three matches in Chelsea’s cup campaign: the 9-1 quarter-final win over Liverpool, the 1-0 semi-final victory against Manchester City and the 2-0 win over Manchester United in the final.

BBC readers rated Bronze as the final’s second-best player, behind team-mate Lauren James.

Individual recognition in the Champions League

Chelsea were knocked out by Arsenal in the quarter-finals, but Bronze again demonstrated her quality in Europe’s leading club competition.

She scored twice in seven appearances and was named the tournament’s most valuable player by statistics website Sofascore.

Bronze also recorded an 86 percent pass completion rate and made 17 interceptions, the fourth-highest total in the competition.

An England milestone

England played World Cup qualifiers and friendlies during the voting period, with Bronze reaching a significant milestone: her 145th international appearance made her the Lionesses’ third-most-capped player, behind Fara Williams (172) and Jill Scott (161).

She also contributed in attack, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

Frustration in the Women’s Super League

Injuries limited Bronze to 13 of Chelsea’s 22 Women’s Super League matches during an inconsistent league campaign for the club.

After winning six consecutive titles, Chelsea finished third, six points behind champions Manchester City. Their league position nevertheless secured a place in the third qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League.