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Jess Carter Opens Up About Racist Abuse During Euro 2025

England defender Jess Carter revealed she was initially terrified to play after experiencing racist abuse during the Euro 2025 tournament. The 27-year-old suffered racist comments following the Lionesses’ quarter-final victory over Sweden.

Despite these challenges, Carter remained a key part of the team, starting in the final where England triumphed over Spain in a tense penalty shootout, securing their second consecutive European Championship and avenging a previous World Cup defeat against Spain.

In an interview, Carter shared her emotional journey. She recounted a conversation with coach Sarina Wiegman, who told her she was in the starting lineup for the final. Carter admitted feeling scared the night before, fearing both her performance and potential abuse.

Jess Carter has spoken about her fears ahead of the final.

“That was the first time I was afraid to play. I was worried about my performance and the racial abuse I might face,” she said. Her teammates’ support helped her overcome her fears, and she expressed pride in her team’s achievement.

Carter also expressed concern for teammate Lauren James, speculating that James could have faced “astronomical” abuse if she had missed a penalty in the shootout, noting the racial bias that can accompany such moments.

The team decided to stop taking the knee due to ongoing racial abuse.

Carter disclosed she received a significant amount of online hate and has decided to step back from social media. Fellow player Lucy Bronze condemned the abuse and highlighted that racism against Black players remains a pervasive issue in women’s football, worsened by the sport’s growing popularity.

Fans showed their support for Carter ahead of the final match.

Wiegman emphasized the importance of addressing racism directly, stating that incidents of racial abuse are unacceptable. Bronze added that while criticism of players is expected in a growing sport, abuse of any kind should not be tolerated, and players of all backgrounds should feel proud when representing their country.

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