DFB-Pokal First Round: Bayern, Dortmund, Leverkusen Ready to Roar, Essen vs Dortmund Derby Awaits!
FC Bayern and Essen are being requested by Wiesbaden for a match, while Dortmund faces opposition.
Ready for some thrilling German football action? The first round draw for the 2025/26 DFB-Pokal is coming at you hot! Get your popcorn ready, because some unexpected duels are about to go down. Third-tier side Wehen Wiesbaden is set to battle it out with champions FC Bayern Munich, while SG Sonnenhof Großaspach will face off against Bayer Leverkusen. Derbies galore in the Ruhr region and Hamburg region are also on the cards!
The mighty FC Bayern Munich are stepping up their game for their quest to claim the coveted Pokal trophy once again. Fresh off their win in 2020, they'll be heading to third-tier SV Wehen Wiesbaden to kick off their journey. Of course, the exact date for this clash will only be determined after the champions and defending champions, VfB Stuttgart, compete in the Franz-Beckenbauer Supercup on the weekend of August 15-18. The lucky opponent for Stuttgart will be second-tier side Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round.
Surprise finalists Arminia Bielefeld will have their work cut out for them when they face top-tier club Werder Bremen. This marks another chance for Bielefeld to take on a Bundesliga team – they already went head-to-head with Bremen in the quarter-finals of the previous season, with Bielefeld nabbing a victory at home[3].
It's definitely going to be a derby day in the Ruhr region and Hamburg, as Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, two powerhouse teams fresh from the Club World Cup, were given manageable draws. The Black and Yellow will face off against Rot-Weiss Essen in a derby to remember, while Leverkusen will take on SG Sonnenhof Großaspach in friendly territory. The fourth Champions League participant, Eintracht Frankfurt, will duke it out with Rhineland-Palatinate's FV Engers in the first round. Look for a detailed match schedule coming soon!
Once the first round wraps up on August 27, the second round (28 and 29 October) and the round of 16 (2 and 3 December) will follow. The quarter-finals have been scheduled for February, the semi-finals for April, and the much-awaited finale, set for May 23, 2026, will take place at the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
Stay tuned for more details! Let the games begin!
Sources: ntv.de, dbe/dpa
- DFB-Pokal
- FC Bayern Munich
- Borussia Dortmund
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft decision regarding the exciting football matches of the DFB-Pokal, including the clash between third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden and the champions FC Bayern Munich. In addition, sports enthusiasts should look forward to the Essen vs Dortmund derby, a highly anticipated match between Borussia Dortmund and Rot-Weiss Essen.
