Alexandra Popp was born on 6 April 1991 in Witten, Germany, and began playing football with FC Silschede before progressing through 1. FFC Recklinghausen. She joined FCR 2001 Duisburg in 2008 and quickly established herself at the highest level, winning the UEFA Women's Cup and two DFB-Pokal titles during her four seasons with the club.
In 2012, Popp joined VfL Wolfsburg, beginning a 14-year spell in which she became one of the most important players in the club's history. Used primarily as a forward but capable of playing in several positions, she helped Wolfsburg win numerous Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles as well as the UEFA Women's Champions League. Individually, she was named German Footballer of the Year three times and finished as the Bundesliga's leading scorer in 2022/23. In 2026, she left Wolfsburg to join Borussia Dortmund.
Popp made her senior debut for Germany in February 2010 and went on to earn 145 caps and score 67 goals before retiring from international football in 2024. She won Olympic gold in 2016 and captained Germany to the final of UEFA Women's Euro 2022, scoring six goals during the tournament. Earlier in her career she starred at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, winning both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe after scoring ten goals as Germany won the tournament.
Alongside her football career, Popp completed a three-year apprenticeship as a zookeeper after previously undertaking an internship in physiotherapy.
