Don’t Know These Nike Footballers? You Will
In 2019, Germany’s squad campaign for the Women’s World Cup made headlines worldwide. The tagline: ”We play for a nation that doesn't even know our names.”
The campaign was praised for boldly addressing the lack of awareness around the team's achievements and its players, despite being one of the best women’s teams in the world. It wasn’t a problem faced by the German team alone, but the result of an underfunded, underpromoted, and shamefully overlooked part of the sport.
Thankfully, visibility and support for women’s football have shot up dramatically since then. In 2022, the final between England and Germany drew 87,192 spectators—the biggest crowd to ever attend a football match in Wembley Stadium. “It felt like we were able to trigger a real boom for women's soccer,” shared Giulia Gwinn, Germany's recently appointed captain and Nike athlete, who led the team to Switzerland this summer. Sadly, due to injury in the first match, she is supporting them from the sidelines.
This is the last major international competition the women's team will play before Nike takes over sponsorship of the German football federation (DFB) in 2027. With the partnership, the Swoosh is ambitious to invest in growing the sport in all domains—from leagues to grassroots initiatives—as well as to uplift the women's game. Nike's not waiting till then, though. They've already signed 14 players of the nominated National Women's team. This outstanding number gives them the strongest roster in women's football in Germany.
With football fever in the air, we met the players before the tournament at their "Send-off," organized by Nike, to get to know three of Germany’s players—Giulia Gwinn, Klara Bühl, and Selina Cerci. Now, don't say you don't know their names.
Giulia Gwinn
Giulia Gwinn is a force to be reckoned with. The FC Bayern München right-back was voted German National Team Player of the Year in 2024, standing out for her technical and intelligent playing style. Off the pitch, she's garnered a significant social following, written a best-selling book, and driven forward the conversation around women's football. “In Germany, it's already noticeable that many more spectators are coming, that we're much more visible. It's really special to be part of that,” she shares.
Gwinn began playing football when she was eight years old. She keenly observed her brothers play and, intrigued by watching major competitions with her family, signed up to her local team. “As soon as I went to training for the first time, I was just so happy. I knew that I wanted to do it forever.”
She first joined TSG Ailingen, and after several transfers, rose the ranks and signed with FC Bayern München in 2019. She was a part of the squad that secured their league title and then went 44 matches unbeaten from December 2021 to October 2024.
In February, she was appointed captain of the national team, taking the reins from Alexandra Popp. This summer's tournament will be the first international competition she played wearing the armband. “You have a much greater sense of responsibility when you're not just responsible for yourself, but also for the team, for ensuring that we play a successful tournament as the German national team.”
Due to injury in the first match of this tournament, Gwinn has been supporting the team from the sidelines. She will no doubt bounce back stronger, as she has from previous knee injuries.
Klara Bühl
Klara Bühl has been given the nickname ‘Big Game Bühl’ by her fans for her ability to keep a level head and perform in high-pressure matches and critical moments. Her MVP game award against Denmark is case in point. When you meet her, that cool confidence comes across: “I don’t get that stressed (ahead of a tournament). More like, I enjoy it a lot,“ she says. ”I can sleep the night before a game.”
Similar to Gwinn, Bühl’s curiosity for football was sparked by watching her older brother train. Inspired, she joined SC Freiburg’s youth academy at 12 years old, and her talent quickly became clear. At just 15, she made her Bundesliga debut and went on to sign with FC Bayern München in 2020, where she recently extended her contract to 2027.
Bühl’s fearlessness on the field has translated into 28 goals from 67 games with the national team, making her one of the most consistent players on the roster. She’s also been a key player in the German squad at several international competitions, with the growing crowds fueling her fire. “I like to play in front of a lot of spectators,” she laughs.
Entering the competition, the creative winger was amped up: “It's cool that this tournament can also give women's football a really good push forward. It will be really intense, but could be a successful time for us.”
Selina Cerci
Selina Cerci’s on a roll. After several years off injured, the TSG Hoffenheim player made a triumphant comeback, earning herself the Women’s Bundesliga Golden Boot this season for scoring 16 goals in 22 matches. She then went on to score a hat-trick for Germany in a match against Scotland in April, proving that an ACL tear and major knee injury have only made her stronger.
Praised for her explosive speed and resilience, her appearance this summer will mark her first major tournament debut for the German national team. Was she nervous? “In general, I'm not really nervous. I always try to go into the game with fun and relaxed.”
More than anything, she was ready for the exhilaration of playing in front of huge international crowds. “Goosebumps, goosebumps,” she says when I asked her how she feels on the pitch. “It's a really nice feeling that the stadiums are getting fuller. When you stand on the pitch and see that more and more people are watching, it's an absolutely wonderful feeling.”
