Soccer Star Leah Williamson And Elle Smith Enter Their Power Couple Era In Paris
The Lioness captain and Miss USA winner put speculation to rest with a red carpet moment that lit up queer feeds.
Featured images: Elle Smith, photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion; Leah Williamson, photo by Richard Pelham – The FA via Getty Images
England captain Leah Williamson made headlines this week for more than her top-notch soccer. At the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, the Arsenal defender arrived with American journalist and Miss USA 2021 winner Elle Smith, seemingly confirming months of speculation about their relationship.
On the red carpet, Williamson paired a sheer lace top with an oversized black suit, while Smith wore a floor-length gown with side cutouts.
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Williamson shared a set of photos from the ceremony, including one where Smith leaned in laughing as Williamson held her hand. “Ballon d’Or. Congratulations to all the winners. In awe of my teammates for club and country,” she captioned.
Smith posted her own carousel with the simple note, “a night out in Paris.” Among the images was a candid shot of Williamson slouched against her as they traveled home from the event. Carlotta Constant, who styled both women for the night, commented under Smith’s post: “7th pic tho… the most gorgeous couple EVER,” with teary-eyed emojis that echoed the mood of fans across social media.
Comments quickly piled up, with one fan calling them “the hottest sports couple” and another dubbing them “Posh and Becks of our generation.” Others leaned into royal language, calling Williamson “the Queen of England and her wife.”
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The ceremony wasn’t Williamson’s only reason to celebrate. She finished seventh in the Ballon d’Or rankings and watched Arsenal claim the Women’s Club of the Year award.
This step into the public eye follows months of visible affection between the two. In July, Smith was spotted in the stands wearing a “Live, Laugh, Leah” shirt as she watched Williamson greet her family after a match. The moment, alongside a string of shared posts that included holiday photo dumps and a birthday message reading, “happy birthday my love x,” signaled that their relationship was already moving well past speculation.
