Birgit Prinz (born 25 October 1977) is a German former footballer, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. In addition to the German national team, Prinz played for 1. FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen-Bundesliga as well as the Carolina Courage in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's league in the United States. Prinz remains one of the game's most prolific strikers and is the second FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals (second only to Marta from Brazil). In 2011, she announced the end of her active career. She currently works as a sport psychologist for the men's and women's teams of Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Club career Prinz began her career at Dörnigheimer SV. She made her Bundesliga debut for FSV Frankfurt, where she played from 1993 to 1998. During that time Prinz won two Bundesliga titles and two German Cups. In 1997 and 1998 she was the Bundesliga top scorer. In 1998, she moved to local rivals 1. FFC Frankfurt, where she has had her biggest success at club level. In 13 seasons at the club, Prinz won six Bundesliga and eight German Cup titles. She also won the Bundesliga top-scorer award twice more in 2001 and 2007. Prinz won the UEFA Women's Cup three times with Frankfurt, in the 2001–02, 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons. She also reached the final in 2004, but lost to the Swedish side Umeå IK.
For two seasons, Prinz joined Carolina Courage in the professional women's league WUSA in the United States. During her short stint in America she claimed the 2002 WUSA Championship. After the 2003 World Cup, Prinz declined an offer from AC Perugia to play in Italy's men's Serie A, fearing her transfer would be used as a publicity stunt and she would end up on the bench.
In her time at FFC Frankfurt, Prinz won many personal awards, including a record eight German Female Footballer of the Year awards from 2001 to 2008. She was named the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005. For four consecutive years from 2007 to 2010 she came second, behind Brazil's Marta.
International career
At the age of 16, Prinz made her debut for the Germany national team in July 1994 against Canada. She came on after 72 minutes and scored the game-winner in the 89th minute. One year later, she won her first major title at the 1995 European Championship, scoring in the final. In the same year, she was named to Germany's squad for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, where they lost to Norway in the final match. She remains the youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup Final.
For the next decade, Prinz had one of the most successful international careers in women's football. She won four more UEFA European Championships in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009. At the Summer Olympics she won bronze three times with the German team, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. At the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Prinz helped Germany win its first World Cup title in the women's game. She was honoured as the tournament's best player and top-scorer. Prinz became the women's national team captain at the end of 2003, and remained until her retirement. Four years later, at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, she captained the team to Germany's second World Cup title; she was awarded the Silver Ball as the second-best player at the tournament.
Prinz holds several national and international records. With 14 goals, she is the second all-time leading goalscorer at FIFA Women's World Cups. From 2008 until 2012, Prinz and Brazil's Cristiane both held the tournament record of ten goals at the Summer Olympics, although Cristiane has now surpassed Prinz. For the German national team Prinz appeared 214 times and scored 128 goals, and is the team's most capped player and top goalscorer.
Personal life Prinz is a trained physical therapist. In 2010, she graduated with her master's degree in psychology from the Goethe University Frankfurt. Since January 2012, she has worked as a sport psychologist in the youth academy, women's U-17 and women's Bundesliga teams at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Career statistics
International Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Prinz goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Birgit PrinzNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 27 July 1994 Saputo Stadium, Montreal, Canada 2–1 2–1 Friendly2 2 August 1994 Bensalem Township Memorial Stadium, Oakford, USA 6–3 6–3 3 21 September 1994 Floschenstadion, Sindelfingen, Germany 5–0 8–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1995 qualifying48–05 23 February 1995 Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany 2–1 2–1 UEFA Women's Euro 19956 26 March 1995 Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany 2–1 3–27 23 May 1995? 5–0 8–0 Friendly8 9 June 1995 Tingvalla IP, Karlstad, Sweden 1–0 6–1 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup9 25 October 1995 Štadión Pasienky, Bratislava, Slovakia 1–0 3–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1997 qualifying10 23 July 1996 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States 2–2 2–3 1996 Summer Olympics1124 April 1997?, Germany 4–0 6–0 Friendly125–013 6 July 1997 Melløs Stadion, Moss, Norway 2–0 2–0 UEFA Women's Euro 199714 12 July 1997 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway 2–0 2–015 25 September 1997 Paul Greifzu Stadium, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany 3–0 3–0 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying16 9 October 1997MSV-Arena, Duisburg, Germany 3–1 3–1 Friendly17 17 June 1998 Ulefoss Idrettspark, Ulefoss, Norway 1–2 2–3 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying1817 September 1998 Sportpark Johannisau, Fulda, Germany 3–0 5–0 194–020 11 October 1998 NSC Olimpiyskiy, Kyiv, Ukraine1–0 1–121 14 February 1999 ?, Turkey 5–0 12–1 Friendly22 28 March 1999 ?, Germany 4–1 4–123 27 June 1999 FedExField, Landover, United States 1–0 3–3 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup24 6 April 2000 Stadion am Bornheimer Hang, Frankfurt, Germany 1–0 3–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2001 qualifying25 11 May 2000 NSC Olimpiyskiy, Kyiv, Ukraine 1–0 6–1262–0273–1285–129 17 August 2000 Kópavogsvöllur, Kópavogur, Iceland 3–0 6–0304–03116 September 2000 Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australia 1–0 2–1 2000 Summer Olympics322–033 28 September 2000 Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia 2–0 2–0 34 27 August 2000 Old Tivoli, Aachen, Germany 3–0 7–0 Friendly35 8 March 2001 Donaustadion, Ulm, Germany 2–3 2–4 36 17 June 2001 Niederrheinstadion, Oberhausen, Germany 4–0 7–1 37 27 June 2001 Steigerwaldstadion, Erfurt, Germany 2–0 5–0 UEFA Women's Euro 200138 17 November 2001 De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands 2–0 3–0 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying39 27 January 2002 Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium, Guangzhou, China 2–1 3–1 Friendly40 18 April 2002 Stadion am Schönbusch, Aschaffenburg, Germany 3–0 6–0 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying414–0425–043 4 May 2002 Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo, Barcelos, Portugal 8–0 8–044 17 October 2002 Donaustadion, Ulm, Germany 1–0 2–0 Friendly45 14 November 2002 Nattenberg Stadion, Lüdenscheid, Germany 1–0 4–04627 March 2003Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion, Potsdam, Germany 1–0 5–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying475–048 22 May 2003 Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Prenzlauer Berg, Germany 1–0 1–1 Friendly4925 May 2003Haderslev Football Stadium, Haderslev, Denmark 2–2 6–2503–2516–252 28 August 2003 Dreiflüssestadion, Passau, Germany 3–0 4–0UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying 5311 September 2003 Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt, Germany 1–0 4–0Friendly542–055 20 September 2003 Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, United States 3–1 4–1 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup5624 September 2003 2–0 3–0 573–058 27 September 2003 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States 4–0 6–1592 October 2003 Providence Park, Portland, United States 6–1 7–1607–161 5 October 2003 3–0 3–0 6215 November 2003 Stadion an der Kreuzeiche, Reutlingen, Germany 4–0 13–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying636–0647–0659–0667 February 2004 Estádio Municipal de Albufeira, Albufeira, Portugal1–0 11–0674–06810–069 31 March 2004 Stadio Druso, Bolzano, Italy 1–0 1–0 Friendly7028 April 2004 Marschweg-Stadion, Oldenburg, Germany 1–0 6–0UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying715–072 2 May 2004 Almondvale Stadium, Livingston, Scotland 2–1 3–173 24 July 2004 Stadion am Bieberer Berg, Offenbach am Main, Germany 2–0 3–1 Friendly7411 August 2004 Pampeloponnisiako Stadium, Patras, Greece 1–0 8–0 2004 Summer Olympics752–0764–0777–078 17 August 2004 Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece 2–0 2–07925 September 2004 Na Litavce, Příbram, Czechia 2–0 5–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying80 9 March 2005 Municipal de Lagos, Lagos, Portugal 2–0 2–1 2005 Algarve Cup8111 March 2005 Providence Park, Dr. Francisco Vieira Stadium, Silves, Portugal 2–0 4–0823–083 21 April 2005 Stadion an der Bremer Brücke, Osnabrück, Germany 2–1 3–1 Friendly84 9 June 2005 Deepdale, Preston, England 1–0 4–0 UEFA Women's Euro 200585 15 June 2005 4–1 4–186 19 June 2005 Ewood Park, Blackburn, England 3–1 3–187 4 September 2005 Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada 4–2 4–3 Friendly88 25 September 2005 Leimbachstadion, Siegen, Germany 4–1 5–1 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying89 20 October 2005 Hans-Walter-Wild-Stadion, Bayreuth, Germany 3–0 4–0904–091 9 March 2006 Estádio Algarve, Portugal 2–0 5–0 2006 Algarve Cup9211 March 2006 Estádio Algarve, Portugal 1–0 3–0933 August 2006Grotenburg-Stadion, Krefeld, Germany 1–0 5–0 Friendly942–095 26 August 2006 Richmond Park, Dublin, Ireland 2–0 3–0 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying96 30 August 2006 Stadion Breite, Schaffhausen, Switzerland 2–0 6–0 97 23 September 2006 McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scotland 1–0 5–0984–099 27 September 2006 Eduard Streltsov Stadium, Moscow, Russia 3–0 3–2100 25 October 2006 Städtisches Waldstadion, Aalen, Germany 3–1 5–1 Friendly101 23 November 2006 Wildparkstadion, Karlsruhe, Germany 2–0 6–3102 12 April 2007 Lohrheidestadion, Bochum, Germany 1–1 5–1 UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying10310 May 2007 Bridge Meadow Stadium, Haverfordwest, Wales 1–0 6–01042–01056–010629 July 2007 MDCC-Arena, Magdeburg, Germany 2–0 4–0 Friendly107 2 August 2007 Stadion der Freundschaft, Gera, Germany 1–0 5–01085–0109 22 August 2007 Stadion Oberwerth, Koblenz, Germany 3–0 7–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying110 30 August 2007 Bruchwegstadion, Mainz, Germany 2–0 2–2 Friendly11110 September 2007 Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai, China 4–0 11–0 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup1125–01138–0114 17 September 2007 Yellow Dragon Sports Center, Hangzhou, China 1–0 2–0 115 30 September 2007 Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai, China 1–0 2–0116 28 October 2007 Stadion Lohmühle, Lübeck, Germany 3–0 3–0UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying117 28 February 2008 Dreisamstadion, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany 1–0 2–0 Friendly1187 March 2008Estádio Algarve, Portugal 1–0 3–0 2008 Algarve Cup1192–012010 March 2008 Municipal Stadium, Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal 2–0 2–0121 17 July 2008 Alpenbauer Sportpark, Unterhaching, Germany 2–0 3–0 Friendly122 18 August 2008 Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China 1–0 1–5 2008 Summer Olympics123 25 July 2009 Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany 4–0 6–0 Friendly12410 September 2009 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland 1–0 6–2 UEFA Women's Euro 20091256–2126 24 February 2010 Complexo Desportivo Belavista, Parchal, Portugal 2–0 4–0 2010 Algarve Cup12725 November 2010BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany 4–0 8–0 Friendly1285–0
At World Cup and Olympic Tournaments Prinz competed in five FIFA Women's World Cup: Sweden 1995, USA 1999, USA 2003, China 2007 and Germany 2011; and four Olympics: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008. Altogether she played in 43 matches and scored 24 goals at those nine global tournaments. With Germany, Prinz is a two-time world champion from USA 2003 and China 2007, and a runner-up from Sweden 1995, as well as a three-time bronze medalist from Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.