Lucy Bronze's 'romance' with Spain star Ona Batlle after sizzling summer holiday

WhileLionessLucy Bronze often opens up about her close-knit family, she tends to keep her romantic life private.

However, it’s widely believed that the England star is in a relationship with Spanish footballer Ona Batlle. The pair met when Lucy, 33, joined Barcelona FC, and though she and Ona, 26, had previously played on opposite sides of the Manchester rivalry - Lucy with City and Ona with United - it was evident a close bond had already begun to blossom.

During a dazzling 2023-24 season with Barcelona -where they secured the domestic league title, two Spanish cups, and the Champions League - Lucy and Ona became inseparable off the pitch. That bond only grew after Lucy's return to the Women’s Super League with Chelsea last summer.

• Lionesses star reveals benefits of social media sabbatical - 'I feel a lot better'

• Pizza, partying and a new mantra - How Lionesses celebrated reaching Euro 2025 Final

Now, as the two full-backs prepare to face off in the 2025 Women’s Euros final this Sunday when England take on Spain once again in the Euro 2025 final. they do so as fierce competitors, yet also possibly lovers.

Though the pair haven’t officially confirmed their romance, they’ve shared several affectionate photos together - most recently from a holiday just before the tournament.

Ahead of the tournament in Switzerland, the pair shared snapshots from a joint holiday, which appeared to coincide with Ona’s birthday. "Bday week," the Spanish defender captioned on Instagram, alongside photos of them enjoying ice cream, floating in the sea on a lilo, and lounging in a private pool during a boat trip.

It wasn’t their first getaway together either. The previous winter, six months after Lucy joined Chelsea, Ona posted pictures of the two at Disneyland Paris with the caption: "What a magical place."

But the pair will have to set their relationship - romantic or not - aside on Sunday. Spain booked their place in the final with a dramatic 1-0 extra-time win over Germany, while England battled past Italy 2-1, also in extra time, with Bronze playing all 120 minutes and previously netting a crucial penalty in a quarter-final shootout against Sweden.

In the aftermath of Spain's 1-0 triumph over the Lionesses in the 2023 Women's World Cup final, Ona was even seen taking time out of her celebrations to console Lucy, kneeling beside her to offer comfort.

Last month, Lucy opened up about her hopes of one day starting a family, saying it's the one thing she's "dying" to do.

"My brother’s got two kids and that’s what I’m most jealous of, seeing my niece and nephew. But there’s plenty of time for that – and what that looks like, I don’t know," she told Women's Health.

READ MORE: 'I had a spoon of Manuka Honey every day to help with hayfever - the results shocked me'