Her Hardest Saves Came Off the Pitch: The Story of Ann-Katrin Berger

Ann-Katrin Berger has lifted trophies with her clubs and won Olympic bronze with Germany. But the defining moments of her life did not come in stadiums — they came in a battle she fought twice, and won.

If you ask fans of women’s football who the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game is, the answers will likely vary. One name, however, will almost certainly come up again and again: Ann-Katrin Berger.

European fans will especially remember Euro 2025. Germany ultimately fell to Spain in the semi-finals, but Berger was the player who repeatedly kept her team alive. One standout moment came in the quarter-final against France, when Germany spent almost the entire match playing with ten players. Even so, they managed to turn the game around.

Berger played a crucial role. She kept a clean sheet and then stepped up in the penalty shootout — not only saving spot kicks but even scoring one herself.

Yet this is only a small part of the story of the German goalkeeper, who spent a large part of her career at Chelsea. It was there that she also met her partner Jess Carter, England’s international defender. The two later moved together to the NWSL, where they celebrated the 2025 championship with NJ/NY Gotham FC.

At Chelsea, Berger won four league titles, two domestic cups and even reached the Champions League final, where the team ultimately fell to Barcelona’s attacking power.

Among her greatest achievements is also the Olympic bronze medal from Paris. In the bronze medal match, she held off Spain’s dangerous attack and walked away not only with a medal but also with a clean sheet.

The toughest opponent

But the most important battles of her life took place far from the pitch. And she had to fight them twice. Both times, the opponent was thyroid cancer. The first diagnosis came in 2017. Berger was 27 years old at the time and had just begun an exciting new chapter of her career in England with Birmingham City.

Fortunately, the prognosis was relatively positive — and Berger quickly showed the determination that would define her career. Only a few months after receiving the diagnosis, she returned to the pitch. A similarly remarkable comeback as Colombian star Linda Caicedo - we already described her story here. Her rapid return shocked doctors and coaches alike. By February 2018 she was already playing in the FA Cup, and by the end of the season she had earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

Her performances were so impressive that Chelsea signed her the following year — another major step forward in her career.

Humble leader

But cancer had not yet said its final word. In 2022, Germany — historically the most successful team in the tournament — was preparing for the European Championship. The team entered the competition as one of the main favourites for the title.

Shortly before the tournament, Berger received devastating news: the cancer had returned. She told no one in the squad. She did not want to distract the team during their push for the title. Fortunately, the illness progressed slowly enough to allow Berger — then the national team’s backup goalkeeper behind Merle Frohms — to complete the tournament. Only afterwards did she undergo treatment. Once again, Berger won the battle.

She returned to football and went on to achieve all the successes that followed. Her story showed that the illness had neither weakened her nor taken away her fighting spirit.The tall German goalkeeper has always been known for her modesty. Even when speaking about her battle with cancer, she has never sought attention or admiration.

Instead, she prefers to let her performances on the pitch speak for her.