Lucy Bronze marked a milestone appearance with a commanding performance as England defeated Iceland to continue their strong start in World Cup qualifying.
The experienced right-back, making her 145th senior appearance for the Lionesses, opened the scoring with a superb header in the 23rd minute.
Timing her run perfectly, Bronze met Taylor Hinds’ cross with precision to reward England’s early dominance.
With tension building late in the match as England struggled to extend their lead, Bronze again proved decisive.
With 12 minutes remaining, she delivered an excellent cross that Georgia Stanway volleyed home to secure all three points.
The performance came on a landmark day for Bronze, who moved past Karen Carney to become England’s third most-capped player of all time.
England manager Sarina Wiegman praised both her impact and leadership.
“She’s an incredible human being,” Wiegman said.
“She delivers herself every time and has so much football intelligence, helping the team both on and off the pitch.”
Bronze has been England’s first-choice right-back for more than a decade, though discussions about the future of the position have started to emerge.
She will be 35 by the time the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil arrives, and Maya Le Tissier was selected at right-back earlier in the week against Ukraine.
Yet Bronze’s display at Nottingham’s City Ground underlined her enduring importance.
She registered five shots, completed 49 passes with 91% accuracy and helped keep Iceland to just one effort on target - a shot well saved by goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
Wiegman believes performances like this show why Bronze remains central to her plans.
“She plays a big role in the team and she wants to make the World Cup,” the England boss added.
“She is still building minutes, but when you deliver like this you show how important you are.”
Carney, whose England appearance tally Bronze overtook, also praised the defender’s relentless standards.
“That’s why Lucy is in the team,” Carney said on ITV Sport.
“She demands more all the time. That mentality helped us win two Euros and it’s what we need if England are going to win the World Cup.”
While Bronze’s position appears secure, other areas of the England side continue to evolve.
Lauren James impressed in attack during her first start since the Euro 2025 final, having previously been managing an injury.
The Chelsea forward showed flashes of her best form, troubling Iceland’s defence with her creativity and movement.
“I’m pleased for her,” Wiegman said.
“She’s enjoying herself on the pitch and that brings joy to the team as well.”
James combined effectively with left-back Taylor Hinds, who has started four of England’s six matches since Euro 2025 and provided the assist for Bronze’s opener with a well-timed overlapping run.
Her inclusion, however, meant Jess Park moved into central midfield.
Park has excelled on the wing for Manchester United this season but was less influential in the deeper role.
Alongside her, Stanway delivered another strong display, scoring her 32nd international goal to move into the top 10 on England’s all-time scoring list.
Operating slightly wider in midfield allowed her to find space and keep Iceland under sustained pressure.
England controlled the match for long stretches, finishing with 31 shots and 71% possession against a team ranked 16th in the world.
Despite that dominance, the scoreline remained relatively modest - something that could matter later in the group.
With only one automatic qualifying place available and world champions Spain also in the group, goal difference may prove significant when the two sides meet at Wembley on 14 April.
Still, Wiegman was pleased with the overall performance after England secured their second win in two qualifiers, in front of a sell-out crowd at the City Ground.
“I’m not frustrated,” she said.
“I’m happy with the performance and the camp.
“Iceland are very disciplined."
"We created big chances, especially in the first half, and getting the first goal was important."
"Of course we want to score more, but the win and the clean sheet are what matter most.”
