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2025–26 DFB-Pokal

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DFB-Pokal
2025–26
DFB-Pokal
Region Germany
Championship venue Olympiastadion, Berlin
Dates 15 August 2025–23 May 2026
Number of teams 64
Total matches played 32
Total goals scored 115
Top goal scorer Dženan Pejčinović
(3 goals)
 ← 2024–25
2026–27 → 

The 2025–26 DFB-Pokal is the 83rd 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 began on 15 August 2025 with the first of six rounds and will end on 23 May 2026 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). VfB Stuttgart are the defending champions.

The winner of the DFB-Pokal earns automatic qualification for the group stage of the 2026–27 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 2026 edition of the DFL-Supercup at the start of the next season, and will face the champions of the 2025–26 Bundesliga.

Participating clubs[]

The following teams qualified for the competition:

Bundesliga
the 18 clubs of the 2024–25 season 		2. Bundesliga
the 18 clubs of the 2024–25 season 		3. Liga
the top 4 clubs of the 2024–25 season
Representatives of the regional associations
24 representatives of 21 regional associations of the DFB, qualified (in general) through the 2024–25 Verbandspokal

Baden

Bavaria

Berlin

Brandenburg

  • RSV Eintracht

Bremen

  • SV Hemelingen

Hamburg

  • Eintracht Norderstedt

Hesse

Lower Rhine

Lower Saxony

  • Blau-Weiß Lohne (3L/RL)
  • Atlas Delmenhorst (Am.)

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Middle Rhine

Rhineland

  • FV Engers

Saarland

Saxony

Saxony-Anhalt

Schleswig-Holstein

South Baden

  • Bahlinger SC

Southwest

  • FK Pirmasens

Thuringia

Westphalia

Württemberg

Format[]

Participation[]

The draws for the different rounds are conducted as follows:

For the first round, the participating teams were 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 was 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 were 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 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 2025–26 competition are scheduled as follows:

Round Draw date Matches
First round 15 June 2025 15–18 August & 26–27 August 2025
Second round 31 August 2025 28–29 October 2025
Round of 16 2 November 2025 2–3 December 2025
Quarter-finals 7 December 2025 3–4 February & 10–11 February 2026
Semi-finals 15 February 2026 21–22 April 2026
Final 23 May 2026 at Olympiastadion, Berlin

Matches[]

Times up to 26 October 2025 and from 29 March 2026 are CEST (UTC+2). Times from 27 October 2025 to 28 March 2026 are CET (UTC+1).

First round[]

The draw took place on 15 June 2025, with Owen Ansah drawing the matches. The matches were played between 15 and 27 August 2025.

15 August 2025 (2025-08-15) FC Gütersloh 0–5 Union Berlin Gütersloh  
18:00 Report Skov Goal 19'

Querfeld Goal 35' Khedira Goal 43' Ilić Goal 78' Jeong Goal 90+5'

Stadium: Heidewaldstadion
Attendance: 9,236
Referee: Jarno Wienefeld
15 August 2025 (2025-08-15) Sonnenhof Großaspach 0–4 Bayer Leverkusen Aspach  
18:00Template:Efn-lg Report Schick Goal 32'

Arthur Goal 74' Kofane Goal 84' Grimaldo Goal 87' (pen.)

Stadium: WIRmachenDRUCK Arena
Attendance: 8,850
Referee: Michael Bacher
15 August 2025 (2025-08-15) 1. FC Saarbrücken 1–3 1. FC Magdeburg Saarbrücken  
18:00 Civeja Goal 67' Report Kaars Goal 43'

Ghrieb Goal 45+2', 59'

Stadium: Ludwigsparkstadion
Attendance: 16,003
Referee: Robin Braun
15 August 2025 (2025-08-15) Arminia Bielefeld 1–0 Werder Bremen Bielefeld  
20:45 Young Goal 90+3' Report Stadium: Bielefelder Alm
Attendance: 26,515
Referee: Robert Hartmann
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) BFC Dynamo 1–3
(a.e.t.) 		VfL Bochum Berlin  
13:00 Shcherbakovski Goal 46' Report Loosli Goal 86'

Bamba Goal 106' Bero Goal 119'

Stadium: Stadion im Sportforum
Attendance: 4,705
Referee: Felix Wagner
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) FK Pirmasens 1–2
(a.e.t.) 		Hamburger SV Pirmasens  
13:00 Grieß Goal 46' Report Ramos Goal 90+2'

Königsdörffer Goal 100'

Stadium: Sportpark Husterhöhe
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Timo Gansloweit
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) Eintracht Norderstedt 0–0
(a.e.t.)
(2–3 pen)
 FC St. Pauli Hamburg  
15:30 Report Stadium: Millerntor-Stadion
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Eric Weisbach
    Penalties  
Koch Missed

Frahm Soccerball shad check Brendel Missed Gross Soccerball shad check Behounek Missed

  Missed Wahl

Missed Fujita Soccerball shad check Oppie Soccerball shad check Sinani Soccerball shad check Nemeth

16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) Hansa Rostock 0–4 TSG Hoffenheim Rostock  
15:30 Report Burger Goal 37'

Moerstedt Goal 71', 86' Asllani Goal 83'

Stadium: Ostseestadion
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Wolfgang Haslberger
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) SV Sandhausen 2–4 RB Leipzig Sandhausen  
15:30 Ampadu Goal 3'

Herrmann Goal 18'

Report Diomande Goal 6'

Orbán Goal 23' Banzuzi Goal 79' Simons Goal 90+6'

Stadium: Hardtwaldstadion
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Matthias Jöllenbeck
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) Bahlinger SC 0–5 1. FC Heidenheim Bahlingen  
15:30 Report Scienza Goal 9', 61'

Honsak Goal 34' Kaufmann Goal 77' Conteh Goal 83'

Stadium: Kaiserstuhlstadion
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Lukas Benen
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) FV Illertissen 3–3
(a.e.t.)
(6–5 pen)
 1. FC Nürnberg Illertissen  
15:30 Milić Goal 2'

Glessing Goal 43' Rühle Goal 90'

Report Yılmaz Goal 65'

Stepanov Goal 78' Telalović Goal 86' (pen.)

Stadium: Vöhlinstadion
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Patrick Alt
    Penalties  
Rühle Soccerball shad check

Heckmann Soccerball shad check Ćoćić Missed Gerstmayer Soccerball shad check Zeller Soccerball shad check Muth Soccerball shad check Irigoyen-Goni Soccerball shad check

  Soccerball shad check Telalović

Soccerball shad check Jander Soccerball shad check Karafiát Missed Lochoshvili Soccerball shad check Lubach Soccerball shad check Gruber Missed Maboulou

16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) SV Hemelingen 0–9 VfL Wolfsburg Verden  
15:30 Report Jenz Goal 13'

Olsen Goal 14' Majer Goal 39' (pen.) Pejčinović Goal 53', 76', 81' Svanberg Goal 61', 71' Černý Goal 72'

Stadium: Stadion am Berliner Ring
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Nico Fuchs
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) VfB Lübeck 1–2 Darmstadt 98 Lübeck  
18:00 Becken Goal 90+1' Report Maglica Goal 34'

Hornby Goal 73'

Stadium: Stadion Lohmühle
Attendance: 10,434
Referee: Leonidas Exuzidis
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) Energie Cottbus 1–0 Hannover 96 Cottbus  
18:00 Ciğerci Goal 12' Report Stadium: Stadion der Freundschaft
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Felix Prigan
16 August 2025 (2025-08-16) Sportfreunde Lotte 0–2 SC Freiburg Lotte  
18:00 Report Dinkçi Goal 43'

Höler Goal 69'

Stadium: Stadion am Lotter Kreuz
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Florian Lechner
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) FV Engers 0–5 Eintracht Frankfurt Koblenz  
13:00 Report Bahoya Goal 44'

Dōan Goal 45', 54' Wahi Goal 89' Aaronson Goal 90+1'

Stadium: Stadion Oberwerth
Attendance: 10,100
Referee: Robert Kampka
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) Viktoria Köln 1–3 SC Paderborn Cologne  
13:00 Otto Goal 59' Report Grimaldi Goal 5', 8'

Bilbija Goal 36' (pen.)

Stadium: Sportpark Höhenberg
Attendance: 8,343
Referee: Sören Storks
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) Atlas Delmenhorst 2–3 Borussia Mönchengladbach Oldenburg  
15:30 Rohwedder Goal 32'

Urban Goal 40'

Report Hack Goal 20', 38'

Elvedi Goal 68'

Stadium: Marschweg-Stadion
Attendance: 14,300
Referee: Fabienne Michel
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) Lokomotive Leipzig 0–1
(a.e.t.) 		Schalke 04 Leipzig]  
15:30 Report Lasme Goal 107' Stadium: Bruno-Plache-Stadion
Attendance: 11,900
Referee: Max Burda
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) Jahn Regensburg 1–2 1. FC Köln Regensburg  
15:30 Bauer Goal 66' Report Martel Goal 90+6'

Jóhannesson Goal 90+8'

Stadium: Jahnstadion
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Christian Dingert
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) Blau-Weiß Lohne 0–2 Greuther Fürth Lohne  
15:30 Report Olesen Goal 58'

König Goal 84'

Stadium: Heinz-Dettmer-Stadion
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Felix Weller
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) ZFC Meuselwitz 0–5 Karlsruher SC Meuselwitz  
15:30 Report Schleusener Goal 1', 42'

Rapp Goal 11' Egloff Goal 52' Kobald Goal 56'

Stadium: bluechip-Arena
Attendance: 4,269
Referee: Lars Erbst
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) RSV Eintracht 0–7 1. FC Kaiserslautern Potsdam  
15:30 Report Kunze Goal 11'

Emreli Goal 15' Kim Goal 24' Hanslik Goal 34' Ritter Goal 48' Raschl Goal 71' Tachie Goal 90+1'

Stadium: Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion
Attendance: 8,500
Referee: Cristian Ballweg
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) FC 08 Homburg 0–2 Holstein Kiel Homburg  
18:00 Report Tolkin Goal 24'

Bernhardsson Goal 90+11'

Stadium: Waldstadion Homburg
Attendance: 5,123
Referee: Assad Nouhoum
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) Hallescher FC 0–2 FC Augsburg Halle  
18:00 Report Mounié Goal 52'

Essende Goal 79'

Stadium: Leuna-Chemie-Stadion
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: Tobias Reichel
17 August 2025 (2025-08-17) SSV Ulm 0–1 SV Elversberg Ulm  
18:00 Report Keidel Goal 72' Stadium: Donaustadion
Attendance: 9,531
Referee: Richard Hempel
18 August 2025 (2025-08-18) Preußen Münster 0–0
(a.e.t.)
(3–5 pen)
 Hertha BSC Münster  
18:00 Report Stadium: Preußenstadion
Attendance: 10,635
Referee: Martin Petersen
    Penalties  
Batista Meier Soccerball shad check

Scherder Soccerball shad check Makridis Missed Lokotsch Soccerball shad check

  Soccerball shad check Reese

Soccerball shad check Jensen Soccerball shad check Cuisance Soccerball shad check Krattenmacher Soccerball shad check Grønning

18 August 2025 (2025-08-18) 1. FC Schweinfurt 2–4 Fortuna Düsseldorf Schweinfurt  
18:00 Wintzheimer Goal 44' (pen.)

Shuranov Goal 83'

Report Appelkamp Goal 66', 86'

Itten Goal 68' Muslija Goal 72'

Stadium: Sachs-Stadion
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Timo Gerach
18 August 2025 (2025-08-18) Dynamo Dresden 0–1 Mainz 05 Dresden  
18:00 Report Amiri Goal 22' Stadium: Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Florian Badstübner
18 August 2025 (2025-08-18) Rot-Weiss Essen 0–1 Borussia Dortmund Essen  
20:45 Report Guirassy Goal 79' Stadium: Stadion an der Hafenstraße
Attendance: 19,300
Referee: Frank Willenborg
26 August 2025 (2025-08-26) Eintracht Braunschweig 4–4
(a.e.t.)
(7–8 pen)
 VfB Stuttgart Braunschweig  
20:45 Köhler Goal 8'

Di Michele Sanchez Goal 77', 85' Conteh Goal 104'

Report Demirović Goal 11', 60'

Woltemade Goal 89' Ba Goal 92' (o.g.)

Stadium: Eintracht-Stadion
Attendance: 20,865
Referee: Florian Exner
    Penalties  
Szabó Soccerball shad check

Gómez Missed Template:Interlanguage link Missed Aydın Soccerball shad check Polter Soccerball shad check Bell Bell Soccerball shad check Ba Soccerball shad check Ehlers Soccerball shad check Conteh Soccerball shad check Frenkert Missed

  Soccerball shad check Woltemade

Soccerball shad check Mittelstädt Missed Andrés Missed Zagadou Soccerball shad check Leweling Soccerball shad check Demirović Soccerball shad check Hendriks Soccerball shad check Vagnoman Soccerball shad check Karazor Soccerball shad check Assignon

27 August 2025 (2025-08-27) Wehen Wiesbaden 2–3 Bayern Munich Wiesbaden  
20:45 Kaya Goal 64', 70' Report Kane Goal 16' (pen.), 90+4'

Olise Goal 51'

Stadium: Brita-Arena
Attendance: 12,500
Referee: Daniel Siebert


Second round[]

The draw will take place on 31 August 2025 with Felix Brych drawing the matches. The matches take place on 28 and 29 October 2025.

Qualified teams

Round of 16[]

The matches take place on 2 and 3 December 2025.

Quarter-finals[]

The matches take place between 3 and 11 February 2026.

Semi-finals[]

The matches take place on 21 and 22 April 2026.

Final[]

The match take place on 23 May 2026.

External links[]

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 ·

Flag of Germany 2025–26 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 · 2026–27 UEFA Nations League
Other
Summer 2025 transfers · Winter 2025–26 transfers
Club seasons
Bundesliga

Augsburg · Union Berlin · Werder Bremen · Borussia Dortmund · Eintracht Frankfurt · Freiburg · Hamburger · Heidenheim · Hoffenheim · Köln · Leipzig · Bayer Leverkusen · Mainz 05 · Borussia Mönchengladbach · Bayern Munich · St. Pauli · Stuttgart · Wolfsburg

2024–25                                                        2026–27
2025–26 in European football (UEFA)
Domestic leagues
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus '25 '26 · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · England · Estonia '25 '26 · Faroe Islands '25 '26 · Finland '25 '26 · France · Georgia '25 '26 · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Hungary · Iceland '25 '26 · Israel · Italy · Kazakhstan '25 '26 · Kosovo · Latvia '25 '26 · Lithuania '25 '26 · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Northern Ireland · Norway '25 '26 · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Ireland '25 '26 · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Scotland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden '25 '26 · 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 '25 '26 · Finland '25 '26 · France · Georgia '25 '26 · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Hungary · Iceland '25 '26 · Israel · ItalyKazakhstan '25 '26 · Kosovo · Latvia '25 '26 · Liechtenstein · Lithuania '25 '26 · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Northern Ireland · Norway '25 '26 · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Ireland '25 '26 · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Scotland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · Wales
League cups
England · Finland · Iceland · Israel · Kazakhstan '25 '26 · Northern Ireland · Portugal · Scotland · Wales
Supercups
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cyprus · England · Estonia '25 '26 · Faroe Islands · France · Georgia · Germany · Iceland · Israel · Italy · Kazakhstan '25 '26 · Kosovo · Latvia '25 '26 · Lithuania '25 '26 · Malta · Netherlands · Northern Ireland · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Ireland '25 '26 · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Spain · Turkey · Ukraine
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 ·  · league phase · knockout phase · Final) · Super Cup · Youth League (UEFA Champions League Path · Domestic Champions Path · knockout phase) · Under-20 Intercontinental Cup
International competitions
2026 FIFA World Cup (qualification) · 2026 Finalissima · 2027 Euro Under-21 (qualification) · 2026 Euro Under-19 (qualification) · 2026 Euro Under-17 (qualification)
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