Bethany Jane Mead MBE (born 9 May 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Women's Super League (WSL) club Arsenal and the England national team.

Mead helped England reach the semi-final at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, providing second-most assists in the tournament.

[3] Mead took part in many sports, including cross-country running, netball, cricket, and field hockey, but "football always hit [her] different."

[4][6] During her time playing for Middlesbrough academy, her mother picked up a second job to help cover the cost of petrol required for the twice-a-week 45-minute drive.

Long standing fans of the Lasses had never quite seen anything like it, she was almost unplayable at times and her performances pushed Sunderland to the heights of a fourth place WSL 1 finish in 2015/16.

"[54] Arsenal won the 2017–18 FA Women's League Cup with Mead scoring in the knockout rounds against her former club Sunderland in the quarter-final and against Reading in the semi-final.

[59] Mead capped a great season off by scoring the third goal in Arsenal's 4–0 title-clinching win at Brighton & Hove Albion on 28 April 2019.

[74] In the 2021–22 season, Mead was the top assist provider (8) and scored third-most goals (11) in the WSL, helping Arsenal push in a title race that went down to the final day.

Just five minutes after the restart, Mead whipped a delivery across the face of the Brighton goal and Vivianne Miedema was well-placed to fire home from close range.

[101] In October 2022, after her successful UEFA Women's Euro 2022 campaign, Mead revealed it was her mother's terminal ovarian cancer diagnosis in summer 2021 that fuelled her acclaimed performance last season.

[117][118] On 15 October 2023, Mead made her return after an 11-month period on the sidelines, coming on as a substitute for Noelle Maritz in the 87th minute of Arsenal's WSL match against Aston Villa.

Arsenal were trailing 0–1, but found the net twice in stoppage time to seal an all-important first win of the season, with Mead grabbing the assist for Alessia Russo's match-winning goal.

[126] In April 2018, Mead made her debut for the senior England as a substitute in a 0–0 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification draw with Wales in Southampton.

[137] In the semi-final against defending champions the United States, Mead assisted Ellen White's equaliser in the first half,[138] although England were ultimately defeated 2–1.

Thanks to her performance at the 2019 World Cup, Mead was shortlisted for England Player of the Year[140] and named Yorkshire Post Sports Hero of 2019.

She was again named the Player of the Match and UEFA's Technical Observer panel praised her showing: "She was consistent and extremely hard-working on the right wing, constantly linking up play and making key passes.

"[169] In total, Mead scored 20 goals and assisted 16 in 19 matches for England in the 2021–22 season, breaking Jimmy Greaves' aforementioned record.

[179] She was voted third in Fans' Footballer of the Year, ahead of prominent Premier League players such as Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Harry Kane.

She is only the sixth footballer to receive the accolade, with Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs; and the first since 2009.

[194] Her Arsenal teammates celebrated the award on the team bus after their win against FC Zurich in the 2022–23 Champions League[195][196] and congratulated her via facetime.

[212][213] On 31 May 2023, Mead was left out of the England team for the Women's World Cup due to suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury that had already kept her out of action for six months.

[214][215] Mead was selected again for England in November 2023 and made her return on 1 December, during the match against the Netherlands in the UEFA Women's Nations League group stages.

[216] In February 2025, after originally being selected for England’s upcoming Nations League matches, Mead withdrew due to sustaining an injury, and was replaced by Chloe Kelly.

[219] Beth Mead scholars receive a bursary of £1,200, as well as bespoke sport science support to help them unlock their full potential.

In addition, scholars also receive one-to-one and group mentoring with Mead during their studies, as well as branded sports kits and gym membership.

[226] Soon after UEFA Women's Euro 2022, the England players wrote an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the candidates in the ongoing Conservative Party leadership election, in which they declared their "legacy and goal was to inspire a nation".

[238] Mead published her autobiography Lioness: My Journey to Glory (ISBN 9781399611671) in November 2022, with a foreword by Ian Wright and an afterword by Jermain Defoe.

It details her early life, her struggles with anxiety and self-belief,[3] being dropped from Team GB squad for 2020 Tokyo Olympics, regaining her confidence under the guidance of Jonas Eidevall and Sarina Wiegman, her mother's terminal ovarian cancer diagnosis that fuelled the best season of her career yet,[102][210] England's triumphant Euros campaign,[209] and her advocacy for gender and LGBT equality, particularly in football.

[239] Mead's book for younger readers, Roar: A Football Hero's Guide to Dreaming Big and Playing the Game You Love (ISBN 9781526365866) was published in June 2023.

[242][243] In October 2022, after her successful UEFA Women's Euro 2022 campaign, Mead revealed it was her mother's terminal ovarian cancer diagnosis in summer 2021 that fuelled the best season in her career so far.