Jess Carter and Ann-Katrin Berger are teammates at Chelsea and have a football fairytale romance.
However, on Sunday, they will face off in the Euros final at Wembley as fierce competitors.
They work well together both on and off the field, but when they are seated on opposing sides of the field for England’s first final since 2009, the couple will be in a real-life Romeo and Juliet predicament.
After Berger joined the team in June 2018, Carter and his German girlfriend, goalie Berger, originally grew close while they were teammates at Birmingham City.
Carter debuted in the Champions League at the remarkably young age of 16 back in 2014, while Berger’s triumph came much later in life—she made her international debut at the age of 30.
But soon after they met, the couple moved to Chelsea, and their friendship rapidly developed into something more.
Since then, the couple has been in a contented long-term relationship.
And while some football fans may have secretly hoped for the return of one of the sport’s oldest rivals, Carter and Berger may not be overly thrilled with the idea of England playing Germany.
They were victors of the FA Cup the previous time they met each other at Wembley. One of them will be dreadfully let down this time.
However, it appears that the couple has a positive attitude toward competing with one another.
Last night, when Berger’s team defeated France, Chelsea posted on Instagram to make fun of the situation, writing: “Well well well, we’ll be seeing you both at Wembley!”
Prior to the Euros, Berger expressed her desire for the entire world to witness the dramatic advancement in women’s goalkeeping since the previous title match.
Additionally, both athletes are upfront about their sexuality and relationship, with Carter in particular posting frequently in favour of her girlfriend on social media.
In 2021, she revealed her relationship with her England Football teammate in a blog article for Rainbow Laces, where she also made the case for the need of visibility in sports, particularly for people of colour and the LGBT+ community.
A project called Rainbow Laces was created by Stonewall and premier league teams to promote LGBT+ inclusion in sports.
“I think the most crucial aspect of the Rainbow Laces campaign is that it gives people of all ages visibility,” said Carter.
The ad teaches young people that it’s okay to be themselves by demonstrating that being yourself is normal and that you can be anyone you want to be.
“It’s crucial that we do that, especially for the next generation.”
“I believe that the women’s game in England has done the most to promote diversity and being who you want to be.”
“You can see it in the many types of fans that we get to our games and you can see it in the number of women in the game who are in same gender unions and partnerships.”
However, perhaps England supporters should be more concerned about the couple’s ability to play against one another than they should be about their relationship.
In the past, Carter has been a tremendous support to her boyfriend. Saying I’m proud would be an understatement, Carter wrote after Berger was selected for the national team to compete in the 2020 Algarve Cup.
Thank you for being called up. I don’t understand why it took this long, and even though you’re not always chosen, you deserve this. Go destroy it.
She frequently refers to her partner and the Chelsea club as family, saying simply, “Proud is an understatement, what a day!” when Chelsea won the FA Cup in December 2021.
As she reflects on her first performance outside of the pitch, Carter is all praise for Berger, whom she claims she still views as her role model.
She continues to inspire me and a lot of other people.
Making your international debut is an honour, but doing so at the age of 30 is even more impressive.
“You have never given up or stopped trying, and now you have succeeded in what you have worked so hard for. You’ve inspired a lot of people.
She has also called Berger a “wonderful woman” who “keeps me encouraged and going every day” in addition to being “the friendliest person I’ve ever met.”
There is a lighthearted element to the couple’s relationship, which is surprising given that you may assume they exclusively discuss football.
Carter and Berger enjoy to spend romantic time away from the spotlight, as evidenced by their trips to Miami and Portugal, but they are still bound by the same familial customs as the rest of us.
Even Carter and Berger are forced to wear the same pyjamas around Christmas,
Carter revealed to her fans: “My family believed matching elf onesies and socks were the way forward this year.”
I wish everyone a happy holiday and hope that they may still enjoy themselves this year.
In a December post for the England Football website, she claimed, “I think I was – and probably still am – more comfortable than Ann is with publicising our connection.”
However, Ann is very private, whereas I am more of a “the world could know and I wouldn’t really care” type of person.
She has become accustomed to it over time and accepts it because I will say whatever.
She doesn’t make a big deal out of it, but when she is questioned, it is also not kept a secret.
However openly the couple may be about their relationship, they both need to be ready to put it aside before the final on Sunday.
The couple may avoid directly seeing each other because they have both began this competition on the bench, but it is inevitable that one will leave the other heartbroken.
This is not the first connection that Chelsea FC has cultivated; in recent years, Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson made headlines for their off-the-field love affair.
Germany prevailed 6-2 when the two teams last faced off in a Euro final.
With one exception, the tough team won every single Euro from 1989 and 2013.
Eriksson was defeated by Carter and her fellow Lionesses in Tuesday’s historic 4-0 victory over Sweden, of course (July 26).