Elisa Malin Senß (born 1 October 1997) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga F club Real Madrid and the Germany national team.
Club career Senß is a youth academy graduate of SV Meppen. In May 2019, she joined SGS Essen on a two-year deal until June 2021. During her first season, Senß started 20 of 22 games in the league and played the entire 120 minutes of the DFB-Pokal final which Essen lost to Wolfsburg. Senß partook in 21 matches the following year and scored her first league goal for the club against her old club Meppen in a 3–1 victory. On 14 April 2021, she signed a contract extension with the club until June 2023. By the end of the 2021–22 season, Senß had played 62 league games for Essen, with four goals in the Bundesliga and three in the German cup.
On 23 May 2022, Bayer Leverkusen announced the signing of Senß on a three-year deal until June 2025. She was named as team's new captain in September 2022 and became a consistent performer — playing the eighth-most minutes of any Bundesliga player in 2022–23 — as Leverkusen finished fifth. Senß featured in 21 matches the following campaign, one that Leverkusen ended sixth overall.
On 11 March 2024, Eintracht Frankfurt announced the signing of Senß on a three-year contract, effective from July 2024. In 2024–25, Frankfurt finished third in the league, with Senß playing a pivotal role: she was the player with the fourth-most won tackles in the division, became an offensive threat with three goals and four assists, and became part of a midfield duo alongside Lisanne Gräwe. On 14 May 2026, Eintracht Frankfurt announced the departure of Senß after two seasons with the club.
On 11 June 2026, Senß joined Liga F side Real Madrid on a contract running until 2030.
International career Senß made her international debut for Germany on 1 December 2023 in a 3–0 win against Denmark. In July 2024, Senß was named in the squad for the 2024 Olympics. She won the Goal of the Month award in Germany for her volley against Zambia during the tournament, which was her first goal for the national team. The following year, Senß took part in the 2025 Euros. Playing alongside Sjoeke Nüsken as part of a double pivot, Senß helped Germany to reach the semi-final.
Playing style The holding midfielder has been described as a "tackling machine" by Der Spiegel and as a "small helper", owing to her short stature, by Sportschau.
Personal life Senß used to work as a medical assistant at Essen University Hospital when she was a SGS Essen player. She considers Lionel Messi as her idol.
Career statistics International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsGermany20232020241312025151202662Total364
Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Senß goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Elisa SenßNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 31 July 2024 Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France 4–1 4–1 2024 Summer Olympics2 4 April 2025 Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland 1–0 4–0 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League3 3 March 2026 Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Dresden, Germany 2–0 5–0 2027 FIFA World Cup qualification4 7 March 2026 Lyse Arena, Stavanger, Norway 1–0 4–0 2027 FIFA World Cup qualification
Honours SGS Essen DFB-Pokal Frauen runner-up: 2019–20
Germany
Summer Olympics bronze medal: 2024 UEFA Women's Nations League third place: 2023–24
Individual Silbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2024
References
External links
Bayer Leverkusen profile