 |
Current
This article contains information about a current League, Cup or Match.
It may contain tentative information; the content may change as the event approaches and more information becomes available. |
|---|
| DFB-Pokal 2024–25 | ||
| ||
| Region | Germany | |
| Championship venue | Olympiastadion, Berlin | |
| Dates | 16 August 2024–24 May 2025 | |
| Number of teams | 64 | |
← 2023–24
|
2025–26 →
| |
The 2024–25 DFB-Pokal is the 82nd season of the annual German football cup competition. Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all teams from the previous year's Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. The competition will begin on 16 August 2024 with the first of six rounds and will end on 24 May 2025 with the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, a nominally neutral venue, which has hosted the final since 1985. The DFB-Pokal is considered the second-most important club title in German football after the Bundesliga championship. The DFB-Pokal is run by the German Football Association (DFB).
The winner of the DFB-Pokal earns automatic qualification for the group stage of the 2025–26 edition of the UEFA Europa League. If they have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League through position in the Bundesliga, then the spot will go to the team in sixth, and the league's UEFA Conference League play-off round spot will go to the team in seventh. The winners will also host the 2025 edition of the DFL-Supercup at the start of the next season, and will face the champions of the 2024–25 Bundesliga.
Participating clubs[]
The following teams qualified for the competition:
| Bundesliga the 18 clubs of the 2023–24 season |
2. Bundesliga the 18 clubs of the 2023–24 season |
3. Liga the top 4 clubs of the 2023–24 season |
| Representatives of the regional associations 24 representatives of 21 regional associations of the DFB, qualified (in general) through the 2023–24 Verbandspokal | ||
|
Baden Bavaria
Berlin Brandenburg Bremen
Hamburg
Hesse |
Lower Rhine Lower Saxony
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Middle Rhine Rhineland
Saarland Saxony |
Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein
South Baden
Southwest
Thuringia Westphalia
Württemberg |
Format[]
Participation[]
The DFB-Pokal begins with a round of 64 teams. The 36 teams of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, along with the top 4 finishers of the 3. Liga automatically qualified for the tournament. Of the remaining slots, 21 were given to the cup winners of the regional football associations, the Verbandspokal. The three remaining slots were given to the three regional associations with the most men's teams, which were Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Westphalia. The best-placed amateur team of the Regionalliga Bayern will be given the spot for Bavaria. For Lower Saxony, the Lower Saxony Cup is split into two paths: one for 3. Liga and Regionalliga Nord teams, and the other for amateur teams. The winners of each path qualified. For Westphalia, the spot rotates each season between the best-placed Westphalian team of the Regionalliga West and the best-placed amateur team of the Oberliga Westfalen. For the 2024–25 DFB-Pokal, this spot will be awarded to a team from the Oberliga. As every team is entitled to participate in local tournaments which qualified for the association cups, every team could in principle compete in the DFB-Pokal. Reserve teams and combined football sections are not permitted to enter, along with no two teams of the same association or corporation.
Draw[]
The draws for the different rounds are conducted as follows:
For the first round, the participating teams will be split into two pots of 32 teams each. The first pot contained all teams which qualified through their regional cup competitions, the best four teams of the 3. Liga, and the bottom four teams of the 2. Bundesliga. Every team from this pot will be drawn to a team from the second pot, which contained all remaining professional teams (all the teams of the Bundesliga and the remaining fourteen 2. Bundesliga teams). The teams from the first pot will be set as the home team in the process.
The two-pot scenario will be also applied for the second round, with the remaining 3. Liga and/or amateur team(s) in the first pot and the remaining Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga teams in the other pot. Once again, the 3. Liga and/or amateur team(s) serve as hosts. This time the pots will not have to be of equal size though, depending on the results of the first round. Theoretically, it was even possible that there could be only one pot, if all of the teams from one of the pots from the first round beat all the others in the second pot. Once one pot is empty, the remaining pairings will be drawn from the other pot with the first-drawn team for a match serving as hosts.
For the remaining rounds, the draw will be conducted from just one pot. Any remaining 3. Liga and/or amateur team(s) will be the home team if drawn against a professional team. In every other case, the first-drawn team will serve as hosts.
Match rules[]
Teams meet in one game per round. Matches take place for 90 minutes, with two halves of 45 minutes each. If still tied after regulation, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, consisting of two periods of 15 minutes each. If the score is still level after this, the match will be decided by a penalty shoot-out. A coin toss will decide who takes the first penalty. A maximum of nine players can be listed on the substitute bench, while a maximum of five substitutions are allowed. However, each team is only given three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time. From the round of 16 onward, a video assistant referee will be appointed for all DFB-Pokal matches. Though technically possible, VAR was not used for home matches of Bundesliga clubs prior to the round of 16 in order to provide a uniform approach to all matches.
Suspensions[]
If a player receives five yellow cards in the competition, he will then be suspended from the next cup match. Similarly, receiving a second yellow card suspends a player from the next cup match. If a player receives a direct red card, they will be suspended a minimum of one match, but the German Football Association reserves the right to increase the suspension.
International qualification[]
The winners of the DFB-Pokal earn automatic qualification for the league stage of next year's edition of the UEFA Europa League. If they have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League through position in the Bundesliga, then the spot will go to the team in sixth place, and the league's UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round spot will go to the team in seventh place. The winners will also host the DFL-Supercup at the start of the next season, and will face the champions of the previous year's Bundesliga, unless the same team wins the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, completing a double. In that case, the runners-up of the Bundesliga will take the spot and host instead.
Schedule[]
All draws will generally be held on a Sunday evening after each round (unless noted otherwise).
The rounds of the 2024–25 competition are scheduled as follows:
| Round | Draw date | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| First round | 16–19 August & 27–28 August 2024 | |
| Second round | 1 September 2024 | 29–30 October 2024 |
| Round of 16 | 3 November 2024 | 3–4 December 2024 |
| Quarter-finals | 8 December 2024 | 4–5 February & 25–26 February 2025 |
| Semi-finals | 2 March 2025 | 1–2 April 2025 |
| Final | 24 May 2025 at Olympiastadion, Berlin |
First round[]
The draw took place on 23 June 2024, with Nils Petersen drawing the matches. Thirty of the thirty-two matches took place from 16 to 19 August 2024. The remaining two matches, involving the participants of the 2024 DFL-Supercup (played on 17 August), took place on 27 and 28 August 2024.
| 16 August 2024 | Würzburger Kickers | 2–2 (3–5 pen)
|
TSG Hoffenheim | Würzburg | |
| 18:00 | Küc  11'
Hannemann |
Report | Farahnak 19' (o.g.)
Bülter |
Stadium: Akon Arena Attendance: 9,511 Referee: Martin Petersen | |
| Penalties | |||||
Hannemann 
Wessig |
Kramarić
|
| 16 August 2024 | Wehen Wiesbaden | 1–3 | Mainz 05 | Wiesbaden | |
| 18:00 | Gözüsirin 15'
|
Report | Kohr 59'
Burkardt |
Stadium: BRITA-Arena Attendance: 12,500 Referee: Richard Hempel |
| 16 August 2024 | Hallescher FC | 2–3 | FC St. Pauli | Halle | |
| 18:00 | Akono 11'
Hauptmann |
Report | Eggestein 48'
Dźwigała |
Stadium: Leuna-Chemie-Stadion Attendance: 14,000 Referee: Daniel Siebert |
| 16 August 2024 | SSV Ulm | 0–4 | Bayern Munich | Ulm | |
| 20:45 | Report | Müller 12', 14'
|
Stadium: Donaustadion Attendance: 17,400 Referee: Sven Jablonski |
| 17 August 2024 | Schott Mainz | 0–2 | Greuther Fürth | Mainz | |
| 13:00 | Report | Srbeny 8'
Mustapha |
Stadium: Bruchwegstadion Attendance: 4,235 Referee: Felix Prigan |
| 17 August 2024 | Erzgebirge Aue | 1–3 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Aue | |
| 13:00 | Clausen 8'
|
Report | Honorat 35'
Netz |
Stadium: Erzgebirgsstadion Attendance: 14,811 Referee: Florian Badstübner |
| 17 August 2024 | Greifswalder FC | 0–1 | Union Berlin | Greifswald | |
| 15:30 | Report | Vertessen 67'
|
Stadium: Volksstadion Greifswald Attendance: 4,990 Referee: Lukas Benen |
| 17 August 2024 | FC 08 Villingen | 0–4 | 1. FC Heidenheim | Villingen | |
| 15:30 | Report | Breunig 43', 48', 54'
Wanner |
Stadium: MS-Technologie-Arena Attendance: 6,800 Referee: Fabienne Michel |
| 17 August 2024 | Rot-Weiss Essen | 1–4 | RB Leipzig | Essen | |
| 15:30 | Safi 2'
|
Report | Šeško 12'
Openda |
Stadium: Stadion an der Hafenstraße Attendance: 17,000 Referee: Christian Dingert |
| 17 August 2024 | FC Ingolstadt | 1–2 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | Ingolstadt | |
| 15:30 | Malone 88'
|
Report | Mause 3', 36'
|
Stadium: Audi Sportpark Attendance: 11,655 Referee: Robin Braun |
| 17 August 2024 | VfR Aalen | 0–2 | Schalke 04 | Aalen | |
| 15:30 | Report | Karaman 31'
Mohr |
Stadium: Städtisches Waldstadion Attendance: 10,850 Referee: Felix Brych |
| 17 August 2024 | VfL Osnabrück | 0–4 | SC Freiburg | Osnabrück | |
| 15:30 | Report | Höler 30'
Grifo |
Stadium: Stadion an der Bremer Brücke Attendance: 15,500 Referee: Tobias Reichel |
| 17 August 2024 | Alemannia Aachen | 2–3 | Holstein Kiel | Aachen | |
| 18:00 | Hanraths 28'
Benschop |
Report | Machino 16'
Rosenboom |
Stadium: Tivoli Attendance: 29,555 Referee: Michael Bacher |
| 17 August 2024 | Arminia Bielefeld | 2–0 | Hannover 96 | Bielefeld | |
| 18:00 | Becker 14'
Oppie |
Report | Stadium: Schüco-Arena Attendance: 26,044 Referee: Robert Hartmann |
| 17 August 2024 | Phönix Lübeck | 1–4 | Borussia Dortmund | Hamburg | |
| 18:00 | Iloka 55'
|
Report | Anton 3'
Can |
Stadium: Volksparkstadion Attendance: 50,971 Referee: Max Burda |
| 18 August 2024 | Viktoria Berlin | 1–4 | FC Augsburg | Berlin | |
| 13:00 | Liu 4'
|
Report | Rexhbecaj 33'
Essende |
Stadium: Stadion Lichterfelde Attendance: 5,504 Referee: Eric Weisbach |
| 18 August 2024 | 1. FC Saarbrücken | 1–1 (3–5 pen)
|
1. FC Nürnberg | Saarbrücken | |
| 13:00 | Brünker 80'
|
Report | Ševčík 12'
|
Stadium: Ludwigsparkstadion Attendance: 14,868 Referee: Bastian Dankert | |
| Penalties | |||||
| Rizzuto
Civeja |
Duman
|
| 18 August 2024 | Teutonia Ottensen | 1–3 | Darmstadt 98 | Hamburg | |
| 15:30 | Stark 49'
|
Report | Klefisch 19'
Nürnberger |
Stadium: Millerntor-Stadion Attendance: 6,487 Referee: Florian Lechner |
| 18 August 2024 | Jahn Regensburg | 1–0 | VfL Bochum | Regensburg | |
| 15:30 | Ballas 70'
|
Report | Stadium: Jahnstadion Regensburg Attendance: 12,581 Referee: Florian Heft |
| 18 August 2024 | Bremer SV | 0–4 | SC Paderborn | Bremen | |
| 15:30 | Report | Grimaldi 21', 58'
Castañeda |
Stadium: Stadion am Panzenberg Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Martin Speckner |
| 18 August 2024 | VfV Hildesheim | 0–7 | SV Elversberg | Hildesheim | |
| 15:30 | Report | Schnellbacher 17'
Fellhauer |
Stadium: Friedrich-Ebert-Stadion Attendance: 5,186 Referee: Assad Nouhoum |
| 18 August 2024 | SV Sandhausen | 2–3 | 1. FC Köln | Sandhausen | |
| 15:30 | Halimi 59' (pen.)
Meier |
Report | Pauli 20'
Maina |
Stadium: GP Stadion am Hardtwald Attendance: 9,705 Referee: Benjamin Brand |
| 18 August 2024 | Hansa Rostock | 1–5 | Hertha BSC | Rostock | |
| 15:30 | Berisha 46'
|
Report | Scherhant 38'
Maza |
Stadium: Ostseestadion Attendance: 25,600 Referee: Robert Schröder |
| 18 August 2024 | Dynamo Dresden | 2–0 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | Dresden | |
| 18:00 | Daferner 18'
Meißner |
Report | Stadium: Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion Attendance: 29,660 Referee: Sascha Stegemann |
| 18 August 2024 | Sportfreunde Lotte | 0–5 | Karlsruher SC | Lotte | |
| 18:00 | Report | Herold 2'
Wanitzek |
Stadium: Stadion am Lotter Kreuz Attendance: 4,637 Referee: Konrad Oldhafer |
| 18 August 2024 | SV Meppen | 1–7 | Hamburger SV | Meppen | |
| 18:00 | Haritonov 90'
|
Report | Pherai 17', 59'
Muheim |
Stadium: Hänsch-Arena Attendance: 12,959 Referee: Felix Zwayer |
| 19 August 2024 | Energie Cottbus | 1–3 | Werder Bremen | Cottbus | |
| 18:00 | Rorig 70'
|
Report | Topp 32', 37', 55'
|
Stadium: Stadion der Freundschaft Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Harm Osmers |
| 19 August 2024 | TuS Koblenz | 0–1 | VfL Wolfsburg | Koblenz | |
| 18:00 | Report | Wimmer 15'
|
Stadium: Stadion Oberwerth Attendance: 9,447 Referee: Sören Storks |
| 19 August 2024 | Kickers Offenbach | 2–1 | 1. FC Magdeburg | Offenbach | |
| 18:00 | Sorge 31'
Mustafa |
Report | Kaars 54'
|
Stadium: Stadion am Bieberer Berg Attendance: 16,847 Referee: Patrick Alt |
| 19 August 2024 | Eintracht Braunschweig | 1–4 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Braunschweig | |
| 20:45 | Szabó 89'
|
Report | Chaïbi 52'
Ekitike |
Stadium: Eintracht-Stadion Attendance: 21,201 Referee: Florian Exner |
| 27 August 2024 | Preußen Münster | 0–5 | VfB Stuttgart | Münster | |
| 20:45 | Report | Stiller 7' Demirović 15'Stenzel 35'Woltemade 72'Karazor 80' (pen.)
|
Stadium: Preußenstadion Attendance: 12,672 Referee: Matthias Jöllenbeck |
| 28 August 2024 | Carl Zeiss Jena | 0–1 | Bayer Leverkusen | Jena | |
| 18:00 | Report | Hofmann 52'
|
Stadium: Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Tobias Welz |
Second round[]
The draw took place on 1 September 2024, with Sonja Greinacher drawing the matches. The matches took place on 29 and 30 October 2024.
Round of 16[]
The draw took place on 3 November 2024, with André Schnura and Rudi Völler drawing the matches. The matches took place on 3 and 4 December 2024.
Quarter-finals[]
The draw took place on 15 December 2024, with Julian Köster drawing the matches. The matches took place between 4 and 26 February 2025.
| 4 February 2025 | VfB Stuttgart | 1–0 | FC Augsburg | Stuttgart | |
| 20:45 | Undav 30'
|
Report | Stadium: MHPArena Attendance: 59,000 Referee: Sascha Stegemann |
| 5 February 2025 | Bayer Leverkusen | 3–2 | 1. FC Köln | Leverkusen | |
| 20:45 | Schick 61', 90+6' Boniface 98'
|
Report | Downs 45+10' Maina 54'
|
Stadium: BayArena Attendance: 30,210 Referee: Frank Willenborg |
| 25 February 2025 | Arminia Bielefeld | 2–1 | Werder Bremen | Bielefeld | |
| 20:45 | Wörl 35' Malatini 41' (o.g.)
|
Report | Burke 56'
|
Stadium: Schüco-Arena Attendance: 26,601 Referee: Robert Hartmann |
| 26 February 2025 | RB Leipzig | 1–0 | VfL Wolfsburg | Leipzig | |
| 20:45 | Šeško 69' (pen.)
|
Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 40,478 Referee: Tobias Reichel |
Semi-finals[]
The draw took place on 2 March 2025, with Gerald Asamoah drewing the matches. The matches will take place on 1 and 2 April 2025.
| 1–2 April 2025 | Arminia Bielefeld | v | Bayer Leverkusen | Bielefeld | |
| Stadium: Schüco-Arena |
| 1–2 April 2025 | VfB Stuttgart | v | RB Leipzig | Stuttgart | |
| Stadium: MHPArena |
Final[]
- Main article: 2025 DFB-Pokal Final
The final will take place on 24 May 2025.
| 24 May 2025 | TBD | v | TBD | Berlin | |
| Stadium: Olympiastadion |
External links[]
- Official website (German)
- DFB-Pokal on kicker.de (German)
| DFB-Pokal |
| DFB-Pokal seasons |
|
2014–15 · 2015–16 · 2016–17 · 2017–18 · 2018–19 · 2019–20 · 2020–21 · 2021–22 · 2022–23 · 2023–24 · |
| DFB-Pokal finals |
|
2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · |
 2024–25 in German football
|
| League competitions |
| Bundesliga · 2. Bundesliga · 3. Liga · Regionalliga (Bayern · Nord · Nordost · Südwest · West) |
| Cup competitions |
| DFB-Pokal (Final) · DFL-Supercup · Verbandspokal |
| European competitions |
| Champions League (Final) · Europa League (Final) · Conference League (Final) · Super Cup |
| National teams |
| Senior · 2024–25 UEFA Nations League (League A) |
| Other |
| Summer 2024 transfers · Winter 2024–25 transfers |
| Club seasons |
| Bundesliga |
| Augsburg · Union Berlin · Bochum · Werder Bremen · Borussia Dortmund · Eintracht Frankfurt · Freiburg · Heidenheim · Hoffenheim · Holstein Kiel · Leipzig · Bayer Leverkusen · Mainz 05 · Borussia Mönchengladbach · Bayern Munich · St. Pauli · Stuttgart · Wolfsburg |
| 2023–24 2025–26 |
| 2024–25 in European football (UEFA) |
| Domestic leagues |
|
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus '24 '25 · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · England · Estonia '24 '25 · Faroe Islands '24 '25 · Finland '24 '25 · France · Georgia '24 '25 · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Hungary · Iceland '24 '25 · Israel · Italy · Kazakhstan '24 '25 · Kosovo · Latvia '24 '25 · Lithuania '24 '25 · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Northern Ireland · Norway '24 '25 · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Ireland '24 '25 · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Scotland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden '24 '25 · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · Wales |
| Domestic cups |
|
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · England · Estonia · Faroe Islands '24 '25 · Finland '24 '25 · France · Georgia '24 '25 · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Hungary · Iceland '24 '25 · Israel · Italy · Kazakhstan '24 '25 · Kosovo · Latvia '24 '25 · Liechtenstein · Lithuania '24 '25 · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Northern Ireland · Norway '24 '25 · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Ireland '24 '25 · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Scotland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · Wales |
| League cups |
|
England · Finland · Iceland · Israel · Northern Ireland · Portugal · Scotland · Wales |
| Supercups |
|
Albania ·
Andorra ·
Armenia ·
Azerbaijan ·
Belarus ·
Belgium ·
Bulgaria ·
Croatia ·
Cyprus ·
England ·
Estonia '24 '25 ·
Faroe Islands ·
France ·
Georgia ·
Germany ·
Iceland ·
Israel ·
Italy ·
Kazakhstan '24 '25 ·
Kosovo ·
Latvia '24 '25 ·
Lithuania '24 '25 ·
Malta ·
Moldova ·
Netherlands ·
Northern Ireland ·
Poland ·
Portugal ·
Republic of Ireland '24 '25 ·
Romania ·
Russia ·
San Marino ·
Spain ·
Turkey ·
|
| UEFA competitions |
| Champions League (qualifying phase and play-off round, League phase, knockout phase, Final) · Europa League (qualifying phase and play-off round, League phase, knockout phase, Final) · Conference League (qualifying phase and play-off round, Champions Path, Main Path, League phase, knockout phase, Final) · Super Cup |
| International competitions |
| 2026 FIFA World Cup (qualification) · 2024–25 UEFA Nations League (League A, League B, League C, League D, Promotion/relegation play-offs, Finals, Final) · 2025 Euro Under-21 (qualification) · 2025 Euro Under-19 (qualification) · 2025 Euro Under-17 (qualification) · UEFA Regions' Cup |