Euro 2025: Germany keeper Ann-Katrin Berger's journey from cancer to penalty shootout hero

All we person is now.

Those 5 words are tattooed connected the cervix of Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

Not lone bash the words themselves clasp meaning to Berger, but they physically people her travel of betterment from cancer, covering up scars from her treatment.

Berger had been successful the Germany squad that reached the last of Euro 2022, but during the tourney she had learned her thyroid crab was backmost for a 2nd clip aft 4 years of being cancer-free.

Fast-forward 3 years and Berger has not lone made a afloat recovery, but she is backmost performing astatine the highest level for her country.

The 34-year-old was Germany's hero, making 2 decisive saves successful a punishment shootout, arsenic they defeated France successful a chaotic quarter-final astatine Euro 2025 connected Saturday.

After playing with lone 10 players from the 13th infinitesimal against France - Kathrin Hendrich was sent disconnected for foolishly pulling Griedge Mbock by her hairsbreadth successful the punishment country - Christian Wuck's broadside fought brilliantly to unit other clip and past penalties.

Even successful an outstanding squad performance, wherever Germany survived against the odds, Berger stood out.

Before her punishment heroics, she had made 9 saves - the astir by a goalkeeper successful a Euros knockout signifier lucifer since 2013.

She saved Germany successful aggregate match-defining moments, including a diving one-handed prevention to contradict a backwards header from her ain player.

Then came the shootout. She saved Amel Majri's opening spot-kick to enactment Germany ahead, scored a punishment herself, past made definite Sara Dabritz's miss was not costly by pulling disconnected a diving prevention to support Alice Sombath out.

"I americium not truly an affectional person," Berger said erstwhile asked to bespeak connected her travel from crab diagnosis to this moment.

"The clip present conscionable makes maine arrogant to beryllium here. Whatever happened successful 2022 is successful the past, I'm looking guardant to the aboriginal and present I unrecorded my champion beingness and I americium successful a semi-final."

Even playing astatine a European Championship has been a agelong clip coming for Berger, who is engaged to England defender Jess Carter.

Aged 34 years 269 days, she became Germany's oldest subordinate to look astatine the Euros erstwhile making her contention debut successful their opening crippled against Poland.

Berger was was archetypal diagnosed with crab successful 2017 portion playing for Birmingham City, but she returned to shot 76 days aboriginal and went connected to beryllium named successful the Professional Footballers' Association squad of the year.

She past enjoyed an highly palmy spell astatine Chelsea, winning 5 Women's Super League titles earlier moving to US broadside Gotham FC past year.

"She is simply a subordinate who has had utmost experiences," Wuck said aft the game.

"That is simply a precise important quality trait. I deliberation her religion and pathway successful beingness has made definite she is patient, and the patience and calmness she brings to the squad she proved today."

Berger, who was named subordinate of the match, said reporters should not absorption connected her performance.

"All the recognition should spell to the squad and not me. Maybe it was the decisive infinitesimal successful punishment shootout, but everyone present should speech astir the show of the squad due to the fact that that was astonishing and incredible," she said.

Germany midfielder Sjoeke Nusken said she was ever assured they would triumph connected penalties, knowing Berger was betwixt the posts.

"I knew we had Ann-Katrin Berger, truthful we are precise bully successful this," she said.

"She is an astonishing goalkeeper. She is truthful calm, she is truthful clever and I knew she would prevention penalties. We are precise blessed she is successful our team."

Germany's triumph was the 2nd quarter-final to beryllium decided by penalties aft England bushed Sweden successful a shootout that lacked prime compared to Germany and France's display.

"This is 2 outstanding performances from goalkeepers that we person seen astir recently," said erstwhile England keeper Karen Bardsley.

"Hannah Hampton won subordinate of the lucifer against Sweden. Through a somewhat biased lens, I americium truthful pleased to spot goalkeepers get the recognition they deserve.

"I'm not German but I would beryllium truthful arrogant to enactment these girls with the mode they played this crippled retired successful specified hard circumstances.

"This is simply a existent players' show tonight. I've been truly impressed; Germany showed immoderate existent grit."