Future in the national team
“Time to think”: Confusion about DFB keeper Berger
12/3/2025 – 9:22 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
After losing the final, Ann-Katrin Berger spoke about her DFB future. Just a little later, the goalkeeper surprisingly asks for time to think about it.
One day after the clear 3-0 defeat in the Nations League final against Spain, Ann-Katrin Berger still doesn’t want to decide what will happen next for her in the German national team. “The coaching team has made it clear that they would like to continue working with Ann-Katrin Berger. The goalkeeper has asked for some additional time to think about it in order to allow the impressions from the conversation and the finals to sink in,” said the German Football Association (DFB).
Berger said immediately after the game in Madrid that she could well imagine being in the German goal until the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. “If the coach wants me and we just agree, then we’ll see what the future says,” said the regular goalkeeper from US champions Gotham FC. Berger has made 29 appearances in her national team career so far. It was only under interim coach Horst Hrubesch that she became the first choice in goal in the summer.
In addition to national coach Wück, goalkeeping coach Michael Fuchs was also involved in the personal conversation with the experienced goalkeeper. According to the DFB, various perspectives were discussed. Berger explained to the German Press Agency on the sidelines of the 2029 European Championships in Nyon: “I just want to switch off a bit. There were so many emotions that occurred to me. I want to make a decision like this with a cool head because it’s a long-term thing – I’m aware of that.”
The 2024 Olympic heroine wants to look back on the past year again, then Berger will “talk to the coach in a few weeks and make my decision.” At the European Championships in the summer she shone with strong saves and saved penalties. However, she would be almost 37 years old at the 2027 World Cup, for which the German national team still has to qualify.
Behind the experienced Berger is Stina Johannes, among others. The 25-year-old from Wolfsburg recently represented Berger properly in the Nations League semi-finals against France. The current number three, Ena Mahmutovic (21) from FC Bayern, also has the future ahead of him.