| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cora Nevena Zicai [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 November 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | SC Freiburg | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Sportfreunde Eintracht Freiburg | ||
| 2017–2021 | SC Freiburg | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021 | SC Freiburg II | 1 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | SC Freiburg | 79 | (14) |
| 2025– | VfL Wolfsburg | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017–2019 | Germany U15 | 7 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Germany U16 | 5 | (2) |
| 2021–2023 | Germany U19 | 10 | (5) |
| 2021–2024 | Germany U20 | 17 | (5) |
| 2024– | Germany | 4 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 4 August 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:48, 9 July 2025 (UTC) | |||
Cora Nevena Zicai (born 29 November 2004) is a German footballer who plays as a forward for Frauen-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Germany national team. [2] [3] [4]
Zicai began playing football at Sportfreunde Eintracht Freiburg before moving to SC Freiburg in 2017. [5] Aged 16, she made her Bundesliga debut in March 2021, playing against Bayern Munich in a 1–5 loss. Zicai scored her maiden Bundesliga goal a week after, striking a precise finish from the edge of the box to extend Freiburg's lead in a 2–1 victory versus Duisburg. [6] This made her Freiburg's youngest Bundesliga goalscorer. [7] She continued progressing during the 2021–22 season, making her first league start against Hoffenheim and playing a total of 12 games. [8] Zicai was also awarded the bronze edition of the Fritz Walter Medal in November 2022 to honour her 2021 performances. [9]
Zicai had a productive first half of 2022–23, scoring in wins against SGS Essen and Turbine Potsdam, as well as notching up three assists. [10] The second half of her season was affected by groin problems, though she managed to assist the winning goal in the DFB-Pokal semi-final versus RB Leipzig. [11] Zicai then became a regular starter in 2023–24, took part in all 22 league matches, and scored thrice as Freiburg finished ninth. [12]
She became Freiburg's most impactful offensive player in 2024–25, scoring eight goals and assisting four to help the team towards a fifth place finish. [13] This included a strong start to her campaign, as Zicai scored off the bench in a 2–0 win over Köln, notched two goals against Potsdam (3–0), and helped Freiburg towards a 4–1 win against Leipzig with a goal and an assist. [14] [15] [16] Additionally, Zicai initiated the first goal versus Bayern, before scoring the second one herself in a 2–2 draw. [17] She then scored a long-range goal versus Bayern in the DFB-Pokal, a match Freiburg lost 1–2. [18] In recognition of her performances, Zicai was named Freiburg's sportswoman of 2024. [19] Zicai continued contributing in the season's second half. Among these contributions were two assists versus Jena, her 1–0 winner in Potsdam, and a spectacular long-distance strike against Frankfurt which Freiburg surprisingly beat 3–2. [20] [21] [22]
Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Zicai moved to VfL Wolfsburg on a free transfer, signing a contract until 2028. [23]
Zicai represented Germany at the youth level at the 2022 and 2024 U-20 World Cups. [24] The team exited in the group stage during the former, but reached the quarter finals in the latter, with Zicai contributing three goals and assists each. [25] She scored five goals for the U-19 team, but missed out on the 2022 U-19 Euros and had to withdraw from the 2023 U-19 Euros on short notice. [26]
Zicai was called up to the senior national team by national coach Christian Wück in November 2024. [27] She scored her first international goal on her debut in the 6–0 friendly win against Switzerland on 29 November 2024, her 20th birthday. [28] She then scored her next goal as a substitute in a 2025 Nations League win over Scotland. [29] Subsequently, Zicai was included in the Germany squad for the 2025 Euros in Switzerland. [30] [31]
Zicai's mother comes from Bulgaria and previously participated in pentathlon competition. [32] During her successful 2024-25 season, Freiburg teammates Alina Axtmann and Tessa Blumenberg nicknamed Zicai "Tooora Zicai", in reference to the German word for Goal, Tor. [33]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 November 2024 | Zurich, Switzerland |  Switzerland | 5–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 4 April 2025 | Dundee, Scotland |  Scotland | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League |
Individual
