Why did Arsenal and England defender Leah Williamson say players could go on strike?

England captain Leah Williamson warned that she would “never rule out” strike action, addressing concerns for player welfare.

Williamson returned to Sarina Wiegman’s squad for the first time since Euro 2025 after undergoing surgery post-tournament after the Arsenal defender also missed out on World Cup 2023 after sustaining an ACL injury.

Speaking ahead of the Lionesses’ opening World Cup qualifier, the 28-year-old addressed her concerns, but what has caused the England captain to speak out?

Arsenal and England's Leah Williamson on increased ACL risk in women's game

Scheduling concerns are becoming an increasing concern in women's football, with ACL injuries growing increasingly frequent among the game's top stars.

Williamson missed World Cup 2023, sidelined with an ACL injury. Following the Lionesses' triumphant Euro 2025 campaign, the England captain missed another five months as she recovered from knee surgery.

England players called up for this round of World Cup qualifiers have a 10-day break between the last competitive games with their club sides and Tuesday’s match against Ukraine, taking place in Antalya, Turkey due to the ongoing unrest in Ukraine.

"Using this time to our advantage is a bit of a luxury but also for us as players,” Williamson said. “I don't know the last time the girls would have had a 10-day break between fixtures so hopefully it'll be good for us.

"I don't think people argue against it for fun. There are reasons behind it and if you listen to the players group - of course we all want to play games all the time, the best quality of games. But the more successful you are, and this team has been very successful, if you couple that with club schedules, the less rest you have, the higher risk there is of injuries. The facts are there with the players."

This season, there have been eight instances in the Women's Super League (WSL) of players suffering ACL injuries, including Euro 2025 Young Player of the Tournament Michelle Agyemang.

Fixture congestion is also an issue in the men's game, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri previously saying that players were close to going on strike in protest, before suffering an ACL injury of his own.

“We do use our voice and we do try to get involved in the conversations with the hierarchy so that they at least have our perspective," Williamson added. "What we can do is say how we feel and the toll it's taken on us. Whether it's listened to is beyond my control.

"We're quite forthcoming with giving that to people so that they can make more educated decisions for us but it's mainly around rest periods and trying to get all governing bodies to align.

“It always sounds like we're asking for holiday and 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 by my managers. So then why is that not prioritised when we're left to our own devices?”

'I would never rule out further action'

When asked whether players would be prepared to strike on the issue, the England captain did not shy away from it.

"[Taking drastic action] is always there as a possibility," Williamson added. "We all want to play football - nobody wants any games, years, seasons to be taken away from them, tournaments especially. But across men's and women's football, the possibility for growth in the game never seems to end and the money that's on the table for everybody involved will benefit from that, too.

"There has to be a balance and I would never rule out further action from the players because if it needed to happen for people to protect themselves, I wouldn't blame anybody.

"I've not had any conversations about [going on strike] right now.

"If a group of people don't feel like they're getting listened to then history suggests that that's the only way sometimes they can be heard. I'd never rule it out or take it off the table. I just don't think that's where we are now. We're still in a phase where we can all collaborate, listen and educate."