FILE - Dzsenifer Marozsan of Lyon, center, celebrates the opening goal during the womens soccer Champions League final match between Olympique Lyon and FC Barcelona at the Groupama Arena in Budapest, May 18, 2019. Marozsan on Monday, March 13, 2023 says she is retiring from international soccer before this years Womens World Cup because she is still feeling the effects of a serious knee injury. The 30-year-old midfielder scored the winning goal in the 2016 Olympic final as Germany beat Sweden 2-1. (Balazs Czagany/MTI via AP, file)
FILE - Dzsenifer Marozsan of Lyon, center, celebrates the opening goal during the womens soccer Champions League final match between Olympique Lyon and FC Barcelona at the Groupama Arena in Budapest, May 18, 2019. Marozsan on Monday, March 13, 2023 says she is retiring from international soccer before this years Womens World Cup because she is still feeling the effects of a serious knee injury. The 30-year-old midfielder scored the winning goal in the 2016 Olympic final as Germany beat Sweden 2-1. (Balazs Czagany/MTI via AP, file)
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) Former Germany captain Dzsenifer Marozsn said Monday she is retiring from international soccer before this years Womens World Cup because she is still feeling the effects of a serious knee injury.
The 30-year-old midfielder scored the winning goal in the2016 Olympic finalas Germany beat Sweden 2-1. Last year she missed the Champions League final with Lyon and Germanys run to the European Championship final after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament while playing a World Cup qualification game against Serbia.
Im doing well for my club once again but the knee is not like it used to be, Marozsn said in a statement. I have to do an enormous amount of work to be able to manage all of the training sessions and games. I believe it would just be too much to do international games, preparation and the tournament as well.
The German soccer federation said Marozsn will play her 112th and last game for her country in a friendly against Brazil next month. The World Cup begins July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
The Hungary-born Marozsns international retirement comes amid concern over the number of ACL injuries at the top level of womens soccer.
Englands European Championship top scorer Beth Mead called for more research into the issue after tearing her ACL in December. Other leading players to have been affected in the past 12 months include SpainsAlexia Putellas, who is the FIFA womens player of the year, two-time World Cup winnerChristen Pressof the United States, and Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema.