Germany captain Alexandra Popp has announced her retirement from international football at the age of 33.
Popp’s senior international career has spanned 14 years and she is Germany’s third all-time top scorer with 67 goals in 144 appearances.
The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed her final appearance will be in the international friendly against Australia on October 28.
“For a total of 18 years, including almost fourteen and a half years in the senior team, I had the good fortune and the great honour of wearing the jersey of the German national team with great pride,” Popp said. “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 burned out.
“It was always important to me to make this decisive decision myself, from within myself. Neither my body, which is a ticking time bomb, nor another person should get ahead of me. Before the fire is completely extinguished — because then it would be too late — the right time has now come.”
The three-time Germany Footballer of the Year made her senior debut against North Korea in February 2010.
Popp was part of the Germany side that won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics — the country’s first gold in Olympic women’s football — and also claimed a bronze medal at the Paris Games this summer.
Having missed the previous two European Championships through injury, the Wolfsburg striker was the joint top scorer at Euro 2022, scoring six goals in six matches, but missed the defeat to England in the final through injury.
Germany head coach Christian Wuck added: “Alex Popp was the defining face of the women’s national team for almost a decade and a half. She was a key player, leading the way on and off the pitch — with her attitude, mentality, personality and of course her footballing qualities.
“Now others will fill this gap and take on leadership roles. I would have loved to work with her in the national team, but I knew relatively shortly after the Olympic Games in which direction her thoughts were going. She is leaving big footprints in the national team. She deserves the greatest respect for that.”
(Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
