Leah Williamson's Journey to the 2027 World Cup: An Injury-Plagued Season Won't Stop England's Beloved Captain

It was a season in which Leah Williamson fulfilled several dreams at once. With her childhood club Arsenal, she won the UEFA Women's Champions League, then as captain defended England's European Championship title, finished seventh in the Ballon d'Or rankings, the best result of her career, and was awarded a CBE by King Charles III. But the fairytale season was followed by one full of injuries.

You surely still remember the quarter-final of EURO 2025 between Sweden and England. Sweden were still leading 2:0 in the 75th minute, but after coming on, Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang turned the game around, scoring two quick goals to send the match into extra time.

In one of the most intense matches women's football has ever seen, Williamson fell after a challenge with Nathalie Björn, and many fans feared the worst. Shortly afterwards, she was substituted and limped off the pitch. The Lionesses went on to win the match in a penalty shootout, but supporters worried that the team would have to continue the tournament without their captain.

Williamson underwent medical examinations and several individual training sessions, but she did not miss either the semi-final or the final and captained the Lionesses to a second consecutive European title, making her a history maker and the most successful captain in the history of the England women's national team.

Ups and downs

Great success, however, came at a significant cost. The injury Williamson suffered at the Euros appeared to be more serious than initially thought. Before the start of the 2025/26 season, Arsenal fans received very disappointing news – their beloved vice-captain Leah Williamson would miss the start of the campaign.

The medical staff were quick to reassure everyone that the injury was unrelated to the ACL rupture Williamson suffered in April 2023. At the same time, Renée Slegers said that Williamson was expected to return before Christmas. Unfortunately, that still meant almost half a season out, but fortunately it was nothing more serious.

Williamson's absence and her leadership were noticeable both on and off the pitch, as Arsenal dropped unnecessary points with several draws during the autumn or, in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, let a two-goal lead slip away.

Williamson's place at centre-back was taken by academy graduate Katie Reid, who handled the role brilliantly. Unfortunately, the widespread wave of ACL injuries remains an all-too-common issue in women's football. Since 2022, 820 such injuries have been recorded.

The best Christmas present

Fortunately, Leah Williamson was not one of those cases and, as the club announced, she managed to return before Christmas. Her first minutes came on 13 December away to Everton, followed by an appearance in the Champions League against Leuven. Before Christmas she made her first start, immediately as captain, in the cup against Crystal Palace, and after Christmas she made her first league start at home against Manchester United, delivering the outstanding performance fans had come to expect.

Unfortunately, that match was once again her last for a while, as she suffered a calf injury that forced her to miss the Champions Cup. Thankfully, she recovered relatively quickly and by the beginning of February she was already part of Arsenal's victory over the previously long-unbeaten Manchester City.

Just when it seemed injuries would finally leave Williamson alone, she suffered a thigh injury that lasted until April. Many fans criticised her for joining the England squad during the international break, where she played against Iceland, but the training sessions and the victory helped the centre-back regain both her form and confidence. She then helped Arsenal reach the Champions League semi-finals and even scored her first-ever goal at the Emirates against Leicester from a Smilla Holmberg cross.

Even so, it is fair to say that, because of the constant injuries, the past season is not one Leah Williamson will look back on fondly. Fans did not get to see much of their beloved vice-captain, and neither did she get to wear the shirt of her beloved club, where she has spent twenty years and signed a new contract this year, as often as she would have liked.

The 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil is now approaching next summer. Williamson missed the previous tournament in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand after tearing her ACL in April 2023. You may still remember the images of teammate Lia Wälti comforting her, Williamson refusing the stretcher and walking off the pitch in pain, knowing she had just lost her chance to play at the World Cup.

Not only Arsenal fans but England supporters as well hope that last season was simply an unfortunate sequence of events. They hope injuries will now stay away from the 29-year-old centre-back and that, as England captain, Williamson will have her first opportunity to win football's greatest prize. The Women's World Cup trophy is the only major honour still missing from her impressive collection.

Because of her 2023 injury, Williamson has played only a handful of minutes at a Women's World Cup, back in 2019. Both experts and fans agree that Williamson's presence and leadership are among the reasons why this generation of England players has been so successful. Guardian journalist and broadcaster Suzy Wrack therefore described her as "the most natural of unnatural leaders."

Leader, role model, captain - Leah Williamson

Frequent injuries have become an uncomfortably common topic in women's football. The feared ACL injury has already cost Williamson one opportunity to play at a World Cup. At the same time, Williamson has spoken openly about her battle with endometriosis, and recent research, financially supported in part by FIFA, suggests that the menstrual cycle itself may play a role in the frequency of injuries.

Williamson has already achieved almost everything a footballer could wish for during her career. She has won the Champions League, captained England to two European Championship titles and become one of the most respected figures in world women's football. But last season was a reminder that neither experience, determination nor leadership can protect anyone from injury. If she can finally enjoy a prolonged period without setbacks, the World Cup in Brazil could become the culmination of her story.

Williamson is a role model for many, not only for young footballers far beyond England's borders. Her influence extends beyond women's football and she has become one of global sport's most recognisable figures. Many fans were saddened when Arsenal announced she would miss the start of the season, and they eagerly looked forward to welcoming her back with applause at the Emirates, where the Arsenal academy graduate truly feels at home. Not only the Gooners will be hoping that everything runs smoothly for Williamson from now on.