Sophia Kleinherne (born 12 April 2000) is a German professional footballer who plays as a defender for Frauen-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Germany national team.
In January 2020, Kleinherne was named by UEFA as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe.
Kleinherne first played for SG Telgte and BSV Ostbevern before moving to the youth department of FSV Gütersloh in 2009. àThere she competed with the B-Juniors in the Bundesliga West/Southwest and reached the finals of the German Championship with her team in both 2015 and 2016. In 2015 she won the U18 national cup held in Duisburg with the Westphalia selection. In the 2016/17 season, she also made her first two appearances for the FSV team in the 2nd Bundesliga Northand scored a goal.
For the 2017/18 season, she moved from Gütersloh to 1. FFC Frankfurt II in the 2nd Bundesliga South, but was promoted to the squad of the Bundesliga team during the winter break. After this change of club and association, Kleinherne won the U18 national cup again in 2017, this time with the U18 Hessen selection. She made her debut in the Bundesliga on 11 February 2018 (matchday 10), when she played the full game time in the 0âÂÂ1 home defeat against SGS Essen. In July 2020, 1. FFC Frankfurt was integrated into Eintracht Frankfurt, thus forming the club's women's football department.
On 29 October 2022 Kleinherne scored her first Bundesliga goal in her 100th Bundesliga game against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
In December 2021, Kleinherne extended her contract with Eintracht Frankfurt through June 2024. After the 2024âÂÂ25 Bundesliga season, Kleinherne was considered as one of the league's top five central defenders by online magazine 90min, being praised particularly for her accurate passing.
Using an exit clause in her contract, Kleinherne terminated her contract with Eintracht Frankfurt early in June 2025 and moved to VfL Wolfsburg. She missed the first few months of the season due to a thigh injury sustained at the UEFA Euro 2025, before making her first-team debut in a 6âÂÂ1 win over 1. FC Nürnberg.
Kleinherne made her national team debut on 28 October 2014 in the 13âÂÂ0 victory of the U15 national team against Scotland. After two appearances for the U16 national team in 2015, she was already part of the U17 national team in 2016 and took part in the European Championship with them. She played in all five tournament games in Belarus and became European champion with a final win (3âÂÂ2 on penalties) against Spain. At the U17 World Cup in the same year, she was also part of the German squad, was a regular player, as at the European Championships, and reached the quarter-finals with the team. In the spring of 2017 followed the debut in the U19 national team, with which they qualified for the European Championship in Northern Ireland in the same year, where they played in two group games and the semi-finals, which they lost 2âÂÂ1 to France. On 18 October 2017 Kleinherne made her debut for the U20 national team. At the 2019 U19 European Championship in Scotland, she captained Germany to the final, which they narrowly lost to France. Kleinherne was named to the team of the tournament.
On 9 November 2019 she made her senior debut in a friendly against England at London's Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of over 77,000. àKleinherne played the entire game at left-back, which Germany won 2âÂÂ1.
For the Euro 2022 in England, she was called up to the squad by the national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Kleinherne played in three games and scored her first international goal.
On 12 June 2025, Kleinherne was called up to the Germany squad for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025.
In addition to her football career, Kleinherne is studying sports management at a distance learning university and is a soldier in the German Army (Bundeswehr), currently in the rank of a Hauptgefreiter (higher private).
Germany Youth
Germany
Individual