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England captain won't 'rule out' players going on strike due to schedule concerns
Martin Macdonald
- 26 Feb 2026 09:45 CST
- 5 min read
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England captain Leah Williamson has suggested footballers could go on strike due to concerns over the ever-increasing schedule of matches.
Last summer, England won the European championships but Williamson was subsequently sidelined for five months due to injury after undergoing knee surgery.
She returned to play in December and features for both Arsenal and England in a variety of competitions. There are several members of that Euros-winning squad who have suffered from injuries since, and Williamson believes the schedule could be to blame.
"We'll never know for sure but I don't think people argue against the scheduling for fun. There's reasons behind it," she told reporters.
"If you listen to the players' group, of course we want to play all the time, but the more successful you are - and this team has been very successful - then the less rest you have and the higher risk of injury there is. It's an accumulation.
"The players, I'm sure, would love to just turn up and play football, but we use our voice and we try to get involved in conversations with the hierarchy so that they at least have our perspective. Whether they listen to it or not, is out of our control."
The women's game, like the men's, is expanding and in November players union FifPro confirmed that 2025 was the first year that saw top players play 50 games or more.
When asked if players may take drastic measures, such as going on strike, to help reduce the vigorous calendar, Williamson responded:
"I've not had any conversations about this right now, but if a group of people don't feel like they're getting listened to, then history suggests that's the only way they can be heard.
"I would never take it off the table. I don't think that's where we are now. I think we're still in a place where we can collaborate, listen and educate.
"It's mainly around the rest periods and trying to get all governing bodies to align. It always sounds like we're asking for a holiday, but that's not the case.
"I'm a professional footballer and part of my job is also to rest, which I'm encouraged to do so by my managers and the environments we play in.
"So why is that not prioritised when we're left to our own devices?"
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