The women’s DFB-Pokal final is set for Thursday, with VfL Wolfsburg aiming for their 12th title. A victory over defending champions FC Bayern Munich in Cologne would be the perfect farewell gift for Alexandra Popp, who is transferring to Borussia Dortmund this summer. The veteran striker has been part of every Wolfsburg triumph in the competition.
A great love story began with Tina Turner—at least in part. On the afternoon of May 30, 2009, her hit “The Best” echoed from the speakers of Berlin’s Olympic Stadium after the final whistle of the women’s DFB-Pokal final between Turbine Potsdam and FCR Duisburg. Among the players bouncing across the pitch and joyfully skipping along the track was a young Alexandra Popp, then just 18 years old and celebrating her first cup victory. She had scored the final goal in Duisburg’s 7-0 win over the “Torbienen.” The following year, she defended the title with FCR Duisburg. By the time she joined VfL Wolfsburg in 2012, she was already a cup specialist.
What she achieved with the club from Lower Saxony is unparalleled in German women’s football. Popp won the DFB-Pokal eleven times with Wolfsburg, and now dreams of making it a dozen on Thursday (kickoff at 4:00 PM local time) against Bayern Munich.
“It would mean an incredible amount to me to bring the cup back to Wolfsburg once more,” said the 35-year-old. After last season’s quarterfinal exit against TSG Hoffenheim (0-1 loss), Wolfsburg secured their return to Cologne this year—but not without drama. In the semifinals, they needed a penalty shootout to overcome second-division side FC Carl Zeiss Jena (5-4). Popp missed that match due to injury and suffered through every moment on the sidelines, shedding tears of relief after the victory.
Popp’s dream of a “rounded conclusion” to her 14-year stint at the Mittelland Canal remains alive. “That would be a very, very nice and fitting finish,” said the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, who also won seven league titles and two Champions Leagues with Wolfsburg. “I would be very happy if we manage to beat Bayern.”
However, Wolfsburg will need an outstanding performance. No team has managed to defeat the Bavarian champions on the national stage this season. Wolfsburg lost twice in the league (1-3 and 1-4) and once in the Supercup (2-4) against Bayern. Popp acknowledged Bayern’s strength: “They play very quickly.” She was self-critical about her own team: “We haven’t had great consistency this season.” But that may not matter—two years ago, Wolfsburg were also underdogs but convincingly won the final 2-0. Popp knows the cup’s special laws better than anyone.
Popp is approaching her 60th DFB-Pokal appearance. She first won the cup with Wolfsburg in 2013, defeating Potsdam 3-2 in the final. Since then, she has added ten more cup triumphs. In total, she has played 59 DFB-Pokal matches for Wolfsburg and Duisburg, scoring 40 goals. Whether she will reach number 60 against Bayern is uncertain, as she has been sidelined since late March with a torn muscle fiber in her calf. Rehabilitation has kept her off the pitch, but she is expected to make a short appearance in her 14th final—possibly as a “super-sub” to decide the match.
It would be the perfect ending to her Wolfsburg chapter and the ideal final chapter in her personal cup story, which can only have one title: “The Best.”
