Lucy Bronze highlights refugee work and calls for player voices

Chelsea and England defender Lucy Bronze has used a summer without a major international tournament to visit refugee communities in Colombia, completing a trip she had sought to make for four years. The Guardian reports that Bronze became involved with the UN Refugee Agency during the Covid pandemic, initially through fundraising work.

The visit took place amid a humanitarian crisis that the UNHCR says has left Colombia hosting about 2.8 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants, alongside seven million internally displaced people. Bronze spent time with children and brought football shirts, including shirts from Chelsea team-mate Naomi Girma. She described the experience as emotionally and physically demanding while emphasizing the work being done on the ground.

Bronze's off-field involvement also includes a place on the Professional Footballers' Association players' board with Arsenal midfielder Kim Little. She told The Guardian that she is also engaged with work involving Fifpro and Uefa, with a particular interest in projects intended to develop the game and improve conditions for players.

The defender has also spoken publicly about Fifa's leadership. Earlier in August, she backed the possibility of a European boycott of Fifa competitions and later shared a social-media post from former France defender Mikael Silvestre calling for change at the top of the organization. Before Chelsea's Champions League qualifier against Real Sociedad, Bronze said she believed the moment was right for players to voice their concerns.

Chelsea won the first leg of that qualifier 5-2. Bronze said the club has undergone a demanding transition as manager Sonia Bompastor develops her staff and approach. Chelsea's Women's Super League home matches are due to be played at Stamford Bridge this season, beginning against Aston Villa next Saturday, while home cup fixtures will be staged at AFC Wimbledon's Cherry Red Records Stadium.

Bronze described the stadium move as a statement about the future of Chelsea's women's team. After six consecutive league titles, she said the club must continue developing its style, recruitment and infrastructure while pursuing the Champions League. Her comments connect those competitive ambitions with a wider program of player advocacy and humanitarian work away from the pitch.