Former international Middag ends football career, considers coaching path

Former Netherlands midfielder Tessel Middag, 33, retires after tearing her ACL for the third time in November 2025 while at Wellington Phoenix.

Tessel Middag, a 44-cap Netherlands international, has announced her retirement from professional football at age 33. The midfielder suffered her third anterior cruciate ligament tear in November 2025 during her first competitive match for Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand, where she was a captain. She completed rehabilitation with the club before deciding to step away from the game. Middag made her Oranje debut in 2012 and played in the 2015 Women's World Cup; recurring knee injuries caused her to miss the 2017 Euros (won by Netherlands) and 2019 World Cup (silver medal). Beyond football, she completed a university degree on the history of Scottish women's football and served on the Scottish players' union, advocating for collective bargaining agreements.