The captain of the German national soccer team, Alexandra Popp, is stepping down from the national team. This was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) with. The 33-year-old from VfL Wolfsburg will play her last international match on October 28th in Duisburg against Australia.

Popp’s career ended in the team DFB-Elf had already become apparent after the Summer Olympics in France. Germany’s three-time footballer of the year has been struggling with injury problems recently. After the Olympics, the 33-year-old left it open whether she would take part again at the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland. The 1-0 win in the small final against Spain at the Olympics this summer would have been the last game of her impressive international career.

Popp scored 67 goals in 144 international matches and is considered one of the most successful German footballers. She celebrated her greatest triumph in 2016 with an Olympic victory. Popp’s contract in Wolfsburg runs until June 30th next year.

The striker had already expressed thoughts of resigning after the 2022 European Championships in England and the early exit from the 2023 World Cup in Australia. At the European Championships two years ago, she took second place with the DFB team. In France it was enough for bronze at the Olympics. She was the first woman ever to be recognized by the specialist magazine Kicker Named Personality of the Year in 2022.