Lionesses defender Jess Carter was a surprise absentee from England’s Euro 2025 trophy parade.
Around 65,000 fans and members of the Royal Family attended England’s joyous trophy parade in London on Tuesday afternoon.
The England squad, which retained their Euros title with a penalty shootout win over Spain, was taken along The Mall in an open-top bus.
The players then gathered on a stage in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace where the merriment continued.
All but one of England’s Euro-winning squad attended the parade, with Carter a surprise absentee following her crucial performance in the final.
There had been scrutiny over Carter’s place in the team earlier in the tournament but she justified Sarina Wiegman’s faith with an impressive performance against World Cup holders Spain.
As well as missing the trophy parade in central London, Carter also missed the England squad’s visit to Downing Street on Monday evening.
That is because the 27-year-old immediately flew back to the United States after the Euro 2025 final to prepare for another game.
Carter’s club side Gotham FC return to NWSL action on Saturday with an away match against Chicago Stars.
According to talkSPORT, it was Carter’s decision not her club’s to return straightaway, even though it meant missing two days of celebration back in the UK.
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That appears to be the case as fellow England players Esme Morgan and Anna Moorhouse, who also play club football in America, attended the parade.
Carter’s decision to miss the celebrations divided England fans, with many saying it was a shame she was not involved after helping the Lionesses become two-time European champions.
‘Jess Carter deserves to be there,’ one fan posted on X with a crying emoji, while another said: ‘I so wish Jess Carter was there to feel the love too.’
Others said it was an example of ‘elite mentality’ from Carter, though there were also complaints about the congested football calendar which gives little time for breaks, even after major tournaments.
Another factor for Carter may have been her desire to reunite with her partner Ann-Katrin Berger, who is her teammate at Gotham FC.
Carter revealed she would be ‘taking a step back from social media’ during Euro 2025 due to the racist abuse she was suffering.
‘From the start of the tournament I have experienced a lot of racial abuse,’ said Carter, who is yet to post following England’s Euros victory.
‘While I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree, or think, it’s OK to target someone’s appearance or race.
‘As a result of this I will be taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with.’
That abuse – plus the prospect of playing in a Euros final – left Carter ‘scared’ to even play in Sunday’s showpiece event in Basel.
‘I was super scared to play today for the first time in my life,’ Carter told ITV after the match.
‘But when I woke up and I saw my team, and the support I had and the belief I had from my teammates, my family and my manager, I knew I could just come out and give it my all. That’s all you can do.
‘To have that faith from Sarina to put me back in the squad, and that she believed I could help this team win a trophy, was amazing. It gave me a lot of confidence going into this game.’
Speaking at England’s trophy parade, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson said: ‘I’ve been crying all the way down The Mall!
‘This is unbelievable, probably one of the best things we’ve been a part of. We’re making history every single step. Stay with us, this story is not done yet.’
Chloe Kelly, who scored England’s winning penalty against Spain, added: ‘This is incredible. Pressure, what pressure?
‘It is so good to stand side by side with every single one of these girls throughout the whole tournament, and the staff that you don’t see behind the scenes.’
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