Canada's Sophie SchmidtJeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
From the Women's World Cup to the Women's Bundesliga, the soccer stage continues to grow for Sophie Schmidt.
The Canadian star midfielder has signed a one-year deal with reigning European champion FFC Frankfurt, a storied German club that has won the UEFA Women's Champions League a record four times: in 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2015.
"Grateful to be able to play for FFC Frankfurt this season!" tweeted Schmidt. "Ich bin super begeistert (I am super excited)!!"
The excitement has been a long time coming for the 27-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., who played for Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League most recently but was not part of the last international player allocation because she had overseas ambitions.
"Ever since I was young, I've wanted to play in Germany," Schmidt told The Canadian Press from Frankfurt. "I held off because of the NWSL coming around and (Canadian coach) John (Herdman) wanted to have our best Canadians playing in and supporting the league.
"I thought it was just time to go out and try something different."
Schmidt was born in Winnipeg to Paraguayan-born parents and German was her first language. She is looking forward to polishing those language skills.
The move came quickly. Last weekend, she got a call from the Frankfurt coach. She pulled an all-nighter packing and jumped on a plane.
Training camp starts Saturday for Schmidt, who admitted to feeling "a bit of everything."
"(I'm) definitely super-excited, looking forward to getting to know the girls, the team, the environment. But also a little bit nervous at the same time, just because it's a new team."
The German season starts at the end of August.
Schmidt is no stranger to pressure. She has played 137 times for Canada, with 16 goals.
Herdman has said Schmidt, who has also played in Sweden and for the Vancouver Whitecaps, has the potential to become the best midfielder in the world.
Frankfurt is reloading after losing Spanish star Veronica Boquete to Bayern Munich, Germany midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan to an ankle injury and German striker Celia Sasic, the leading scorer at the recent World Cup, to retirement.
Boquete, Marozsan, Sasic and midfielder Simone Laudehr represent Frankfurt on the 12-person shortlist for the 2014-15 UEFA Best Women's Player in Europe Award, which will be announced Aug. 28, Frankfurt (17-3-2) finished third in the German league last season behind Bayern Munich (17-0-5) and Wolfsburg (17-1-4). But Frankfurt won the European crown in May with a stoppage-time goal in a 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in Berlin.
Germany has now won nine of the 14 UEFA women's club titles The Canadian Soccer Association says Schmidt is the first Canadian to ever sign with a defending women's European champion.
Schmidt joins fellow Canadian international Christina Julien in the Women's Bundesliga. The forward from Cornwall, Ont., will line up for newly promoted FC Koln this season.
Other Canadian women to have played at various levels in Germany include Danica Wu, Kelly Parker, Brittany Baxter, Emily Zurrer and Kylla Sjoman.