In a dramatic day at the Women's World Cup, the footballing landscape was shaken as the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco achieved a historic victory over Colombia, while former champions Germany made an unexpected exit following a 1-1 draw with South Korea. As we bid adieu to Germany, we applaud their stalwart striker Alexandra Popp, whose remarkable skills couldn't shift the scales in their favor, underscoring the unpredictable beauty of this year's tournament.

Morocco vs Colombia (1-0)

Morocco's Atlas Lionesses celebrated a historic win over Colombia, with Anissa Lahmari scoring the match's only goal, leading to Morocco's advancement to the knockout round and making them the first Arab or North African nation to achieve such feat. This victory came after an initial 6-0 loss to Germany, but subsequent wins and Germany's failure to beat South Korea led to Morocco's rise in the group standings. Notably, defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a Hijab in a World Cup game at the senior level, adding another milestone to Morocco's World Cup journey.

South Korea vs Germany (1-1)

In a surprising turn of events, two-time champion Germany failed to advance to the knockout stage for the first time in history, after a 1-1 draw against South Korea. The result was especially shocking considering Germany's high world ranking and past performance as champions in 2003 and 2007. Despite the Germans dominating possession and creating several scoring opportunities, they were unable to secure a winning goal, which combined with Morocco's 1-0 win over Colombia, led to their elimination from the tournament.

Player Spotlight - Alexandra Popp

Alexandra Popp is a revered German striker and an Olympic gold medalist known for her leadership and exceptional footballing skills. Currently, the 32-year-old is playing in her fourth World Cup, bringing her invaluable tournament experience to the German team, and has amassed an impressive 130 caps over her 13-year career. Despite being an integral part of Germany's squad during last year's European Championship, her absence from the final match against England due to an injury was greatly felt by her team.

Popp's journey to success began at a prestigious "elite school of football" in Gelsenkirchen, where she was the only female student. After completing her education, she pursued her passion for football and trained with junior players from FC Schalke 04. Despite the setbacks she has faced, including missing the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 due to injury, Popp's determination and skill have only grown, with notable achievements like her 100th appearance and opening goal for Germany in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Popp has shown her prowess both at the junior and senior levels in international football. She first made a name for herself in the 2008 UEFA U-17 Women's Championship, and then as a top scorer in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Since her debut in Germany's senior national team in 2010, Popp continues to demonstrate her talent and leadership, recently scoring Germany's first two goals in their opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Despite earning the Player of the Match award in the recent match with South Korea, Alexandra Popp sadly couldn't steer Germany to secure a spot in the World Cup's Round of 16.