The German national team’s goalkeeper – who’s engaged to an England Lioness and could face her in the Euros final – pulled off a shot-stop in the semi-finals of the tournament that has been called the ‘best ever save’ – across both the men’s and women’s games.
Gotham FC’s keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, 34, pulled off the ‘incredible’ save against France in a nail-biting quarter-final at St Jakob-Park in Basel on Saturday – and took her team to penalties, which she then also proved victorious in…and even took one herself.
Berger was around five yards out from her goal when the ball was shot towards the net by a French player, but she somehow managed to fling herself up and back to deflect the ball.
The goalkeeper, who dates England defender Jess Carter, crashed to the ground with an injured shoulder after the impressive stop but rallied to keep playing.
However, the incredible stop wasn’t enough to secure Germany’s place in the semi-final there and then; the team had to endure the rest of extra-time and then penalties – with only 10 players on the pitch after a first half red card.
Berger has recently been under fire after she failed to save several goals in her national squad’s game against Sweden, which saw the team defeated 4-1.
However, she was catapulted to heroine status having saved nine attempts to score from France.
Fans went wild for Berger’s incredible save against France and shared their appreciation on social media.
The German goalkeeper, who’s beaten cancer twice, stunned those watching with a save, which has been dubbed the ‘best ever’ by some – across both the men’s and the women’s games
Germany goalkeeper Berger managed to scoop away the shot from the French player, keeping 10-woman Germany in the match – that went to penalties…meaning Berger was called upon once more
One person said: ‘That German keeper has probably made the best save I’ve ever seen.’
Others added: ‘Wow!! Single best save I’ve ever seen,’ ‘Absolutely incredible save there by the German keeper.’
A fourth wrote: ‘The German goalie with the GOAL SAVE of the year!!!!!! Including the men’s goalies!!!’
After the nerve-jangling penalty shoot out, which saw Germany claim victory, the team will now take on Spain, which could the lead to Berger coming face-to-face with her Lioness fiancee Jess Carter.
Berger recently made headlines for revealing the personal meaning of her tattoos.
The goalkeeper has a series of symbols inked just under her right ear, and a tree and a compass on her arm.
Speaking to German newspaper Bild, the 34-year-old revealed that one of the tattoos hides a cancer scar, while the other two are also linked to the illness that has threatened her career twice.
The shot-stopper, who plays her club football at Gotham FC in New York, was first diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
Berger received heaps of praise from fans for the fantastic save against France
She explained that she had thyroid cancer while playing for Birmingham City and told fans at the time she she would ‘fight every day’ to beat the disease.
In 2022, she was re-diagnosed with the same type of cancer after being in remission for four years.
Berger told Bild that she deliberately chose a neck tattoo because people would then talk about that rather than the marks left by her surgery.
She said: ‘I had problems with the scars I had from the cancer surgery. They bothered me. I had them tattooed over so no one would see them. Now everyone asks me about the tattoo and not about the scars.’
Germany’s goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger delighted fans on Saturday when she made the ‘best ever’ save on Saturday in a game against France
Chelsea and England’s Jess Carter (left) and Ann-Katrin Berger have been dating for eight years, and announced they’ll walk down the aisle after getting engaged in 2024
Berger – who won three Women’s Super League titles, two FA Cups and two League Cups with Chelsea – returned to the sport just over a month after being diagnosed with cancer.
The German national star has since had other tattoos related to her two diagnoses.
She explained: ‘I have a tree on my arm now, that’s the newest thing. I got it done when I was ill for the second time.
‘The roots of a tree are more important than the beauty around them. I got a compass with a folder tattooed when I was ill for the first time.’
The goalie is once again in remission and has regular check-ups every six months.
Germany are currently in the other side of the Euros draw but Berger and her fiancee could meet on the pitch if they can defeat France.
The couple were on opposing sides in the 2022 Euros final, where the Lionesses crushed Germany to win the title.
The two became friends while playing for Birmingham in 2016, with the now couple eventually sharing a flat together.
The footballer told German publication Bild that scars from surgery for the disease ‘bothered’ her and she decided to get a symbolic tattoo under her right ear to hide them
Carter (right) and Berger (left) face each other on opposing teams in the Euros in 2022, with England lifting the trophy
English defender Carter had only previously been in relationships with men and has said that, despite the pair sharing undeniable chemistry, she wasn’t sure what was going on at first.
She told The Guardian previously: ‘I had broken up with my boyfriend when I moved in, but as far as I knew I was straight.’
However, after a ‘date’ (which Carter initially thought was just as friends) the pair kissed while watching a movie at home, and Berger had well and truly convinced her Chelsea teammate that the spark was real.
And the tables have certainly turned since Carter had to be subtly coaxed into understanding her feelings for Berger. Now it’s the English international who is loud and proud for the world to see.
In 2021, Carter said: ‘I think I was – and probably still am – more comfortable than Ann is with publicising our relationship, but that is just because Ann is a very private person whereas I am more of a “the whole world could know and I wouldn’t really care” kind of person.
‘Over time and because I will say whatever, she has kind of got used to it and goes with it. By seeing that it is normal and you can be whoever you want to be … (it) shows younger people that it is okay to be you.’
Announcing their engagement on X, the couple posed alongside one another for a selfie, with the caption reading: ‘7 years down, forever to go’.
Reflecting on her her cancer battle with BBC Sport in 2023, Berger insisted the challenges she has faced has made her a stronger person.
Carter and Berger initially met back in 2016 while playing for Birmingham City, before reuniting at Chelsea where they established their relationship
Teammates at Chelsea but rivals on the international stage, Berger guards the sticks for Germany while Carter is a crucial part of England’s stellar squad
Berger said: ‘To be at a Euros [when] nobody knew then, the emotion of the Euros took the negative part away from my brain.
‘It was a good year. I didn’t let my illness come across and say “hey, you shouldn’t have a good year because I’m back again”.’
Berger also revealed she is keen to discuss her cancer diagnosis, despite it often being a taboo subject for many people.
She added: ‘I actually quite like to talk about it. It’s a topic nobody likes to talk about but in my position I think I can help people.
‘I’m not sitting here saying everything was easy, because it’s not, but whatever your main focus is – and mine was football – you can achieve everything you want to.
‘That’s why I think it’s really important for me to be open. I did it, so why can’t everyone else?’
