Germany women’s national team captain Alexandra Popp has announced her retirement from international football after a remarkable 14-year career. The 33-year-old striker will play her final match for Germany on October 28, when the team faces Australia in Duisburg.
Popp made her debut for the national team in 2010 and has since scored 67 goals in 144 appearances. She was part of the squad that won a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics and secured a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
Throughout her career, Popp competed in four Women’s World Cups, serving as captain during the tournaments in France in 2019 and in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. Additionally, she led Germany to the final of the European Championship in 2022.
In a video shared on social media, Popp reflected on her decision, saying, “I have always stressed that my gut will make the decision, and now it has. After long, tearful deliberations, I have decided with a heavy heart to end my career with the national team. The fire that ignited in me 18 years ago and grew stronger from year to year has now almost burnt out.”
Popp’s career was not without its challenges, as injuries sidelined her from Euro 2013, which Germany won, and from Euro 2017 when the team exited in the quarter-finals against Denmark.