Ann-Katrin Berger was Germany’s hero against France. Her incredible save in extra time and penalty stops during the shootout saw her grab the headlines as the Germans reached another Euros semi-final, setting up a showdown with Spain on Wednesday.
The goalkeeper has proven herself astute in penalty shootouts – one of the most pressure-filled moments a player can face. But her ability to remain calm and beat the odds extends beyond the football pitch.
Perhaps the biggest among them is that the 34-year-old has twice beaten thyroid cancer.
The first came in 2017 while Berger was at Birmingham. She continued to play during her treatment and at the end of the 2017/18 campaign, was named in the PFA’s Team of the Season. It was the approach she maintained at Chelsea when, in 2022, the cancer returned.
It is perhaps even more pertinent given her second diagnosis came during the last Euros.
Ann-Katrin Berger celebrates after helping Germany to beat France
She went through a series of tests during the tournament, said she knew the cancer was likely back just days before the final, in which Germany lost to England.
“It was a difficult moment,” she exclusively told Sky Sports in 2022. “But I kept it a little bit more quiet.
“I wanted to enjoy the Euros for myself because that kept me going – it actually was just nice to do something and not feel sorry for yourself.
“It was my first Euros in my second home and we were flying through. The emotion took it away and for me, that’s what helped me all the time, going through that process because I’m showing the people around me that even on the pitch, everything looks fine, but off the pitch, people may be struggling.
Ann-Katrin Berger continued to play for Chelsea during her cancer treatment, as she did or Birmingham
“Football saved my brain and saved my mental health because I had something to hold on to. I think that’s the main message from me for anyone who is going through anything.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s illness, mental health or anything, if you hold onto something and for me, it was football.”
That season, she went on to make 15 WSL appearances, but the highlight of her year – and, trophies aside, might be her biggest moment in a Blues shirt – was her performance in a Champions League quarter-final shootout against Lyon.
It was a tie seeping with drama, as Chelsea levelled on aggregate in the 128th minute to take the game to penalties.
Ann-Katrin Berger is mobbed by her teammates after winning a penalty shootout against Lyon
Berger saved from Wendie Renard and Lindsey Horan in the shootout, sending the Blues into the semi-finals.
“She’s someone who really thrives in big moments,” then-Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said of her goalkeeper after the game. “She’s probably the best penalty-saving goalkeeper I’ve worked with.”
It’s hard to believe that, given her pedigree in England and her excellent performances since her 2024 move to Gotham FC, that she was only promoted to Germany’s No 1 ahead of last summer’s Olympics. She had to bide her time for six years before being promoted to the top spot.
And once again, Berger used her prowess at penalties to see Germany to success.
Ann-Katrin Berger saves a penalty in the bronze medal match against Spain at the 2024 Olympics
She saved another two penalties in a quarter-final shootout to Canada – keeping out Ashley Lawrence and Adriana Leon. The goalkeeper herself then scored the winning penalty to send her country into the semi-finals.
Berger also saved a penalty in the bronze medal match against Spain, which Germany won.
So for anyone that has followed Berger’s career so far, it is no surprise when, on Saturday evening, the former Chelsea goalkeeper put in a match-winning performance.
Her flying, acrobatic save to keep a wayward defensive header went viral. Comparisons were made, but it might possibly be one of the best ever saves, or at the very least, be considered in the same company.
She made nine saves throughout the 120 minutes, with Germany down to ten players for 107 of those minutes. Her seven saves in normal time was the most of any goalkeeper at Euro 2025 so far.
It represents another Berger comeback. She was criticised for her performance against Sweden in the final group game, with wayward passes from the back often landing Germany in trouble.
But none of the criticism will have fazed Berger. She is experienced enough to not only own her errors, but learn from them too. It only seemed to galvanise her further with her incredible turn against France.
“I’d rather take a blow now than in the quarter-finals, because then you can’t make a comeback anymore,” Berger told reporters after the Sweden defeat.
“Sometimes in football… it’s good to lose, to really know how it is to lose, a real pain, and that sometimes it’s just not enough to perform like that.”
Ann-Katrin Berger saves a penalty against France
The 34-year-old will need another big performance against Spain on Wednesday too. The World Cup holders are gunning for their first Euros title, up against the record winners in Germany.
Both teams know how to win big matches and the prospect is fascinating. And let’s not forget, Spain already missed two penalties in their quarter-final against Switzerland, and had a spot kick saved by Berger in Paris last year.
And Berger may end up surpassing her nine saves against France. Spain are the top scorers at Euro 2025 so far (16), and with Germany struggling especially at right-back, their goalkeeper will be more important than ever.
Although far from a flawless tournament, Berger will always defend any goal with her life. Football helped her in her biggest hours of need and there’s little question of her commitment.
While she is unlikely to want her health issues to be the only thing people remember her for in the years to come, they certainly inform her character, showing resilience and composure in the face of adversity.
