England Women defender Jess Carter grateful for support after admitting she was 'super scared' to play Euro 2025 final

England Women's defender Jess Carter admitted she felt "super scared" to play in the Euro 2025 final against Spain, marking the first time she experienced such fear in her career. However, she stated that waking up to the support and belief from her teammates, family, and manager Sarina Wiegman gave her the confidence to "give it her all" during the crucial match.

Carter revealed she had faced racist abuse on social media since the tournament began, prompting her to step back from online platforms before England's semi-final against Italy. Her teammates publicly supported her, posting that it was "not right that some of us are treated differently because of the colour of our skin." The Lionesses chose not to take the knee before the semi-final.

Despite starting all four of England's previous games in the tournament, the 27-year-old was dropped from the starting lineup for the semi-final against Italy. Manager Sarina Wiegman recalled her for the final against Spain, where Carter delivered a standout performance in defense.

In an emotional post-match interview with Sky Sports News, Carter credited England's fans, teammates, Wiegman, and her family for enabling her performance. She emphasized, "The support I felt from the fans was incredible," and added, "I can't thank them enough because without the fans, my team-mates and my family, I don't know if I'd have had the courage to get back on the pitch and play again."