German striker Birgit Prinz, who in her career earned 214 caps and helped her  nation win two Women's World Cups, has terminated her club career a month after announcing her retirement from international soccer.
 
“The time has come for me to end my career as an active football player after 25 years,” said Prinz, an iconic figure in the women's game whose poor form resulted in her being benched at this summer's Women's World Cup. “This is not an easy decision for me, because playing football was always a big passion of mine. But now feels like the right moment.”

Prinz, 33, led Germany to World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007. She shares with Brazilian star Marta the World Cup record of 14 goals and since debuting for the national team as a teenager in 1994 scored 128 goals. She had retired from the national team after Germany's loss in the WWC quarterfinals to Japan, which went on to win the title, and finished her club career with FFC Frankfurt as a teammate of U.S. defender Ali Krieger.

“Now I look back and think my career went well. Even if the end wasn’t optimal,” Prinz said. “I had a super time. That stays at the forefront.”