Birgit Prinz
Forward · 1. FFC Frankfurt · Germany
About Birgit Prinz
Three-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year and a two-time Women's World Cup winner, Birgit Prinz was the dominant centre-forward of her era — tall, technically excellent, and a prolific scorer whose career output remains one of the finest in women's football history.
Birgit Prinz's story
Frankfurt's Own
Birgit Prinz was born on 25 October 1977 in Frankfurt. She joined 1. FFC Frankfurt as a teenager and spent the vast majority of her career there, making her one of the most loyal one-club legends in the women's game. Her combination of aerial ability, technique, and football intelligence made her almost impossible to defend.
European Dominance
With Frankfurt, Prinz won the UEFA Women's Cup (precursor to the Champions League) multiple times. She was instrumental in making German women's football one of the dominant forces on the continent through the late 1990s and 2000s. Her partnership with teammates like Sandra Minnert and Renate Lingor made Frankfurt virtually unstoppable.
World Cup Glory
Prinz lifted the Women's World Cup trophy twice — in 2003 and 2007. She was named FIFA Women's World Player of the Year three consecutive times (2003, 2004, 2005), a dominance rarely seen in any sport. Her 214 international goals is a German record that stands to this day.
Quiet Legacy
Prinz retired from football in 2011 and subsequently trained as a sports psychologist — a career move that surprised many but reflected her intellectual depth. She has been relatively private since retiring and has spoken about the challenges of life after elite sport. She was inducted into the FIFA World Football Museum's collection of football legends.
Did you know?
- Prinz won the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award three consecutive times (2003, 2004, 2005) — a level of dominance rarely achieved in any sport.
- She scored 214 goals in 214 international appearances for Germany — a one-goal-per-game average over an entire international career that is virtually unprecedented.
- After retiring from football, Prinz retrained as a sports psychologist — a career she has pursued with the same dedication she brought to playing, and she has worked with elite athletes in Germany.
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