Definition
The 2025–26 DFB-Pokal is the forthcoming edition of Germany's premier knockout football cup competition, organized by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB). It will determine the champion of that season’s cup tournament, with the winner earning a place in the subsequent UEFA Europa League group stage.
Overview
The DFB-Pokal is an annual single‑elimination tournament involving clubs from across the German football league system, traditionally featuring 64 teams: all 36 clubs from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, the top four finishers of the 3. Liga, and the remaining slots assigned to regional cup winners and qualifying teams from the lower divisions. Matches are played over several rounds—first round, second round, round of 16, quarter‑finals, semi‑finals, and the final—typically spanning from August of the starting year to May of the following year. The final is traditionally staged at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
The 2025–26 edition will follow this established structure. As of the current date, the exact dates, match pairings, and participating clubs have not been formally announced by the DFB. The competition will commence in early August 2025 and conclude with the final in May 2026, adhering to the calendar used in recent seasons.
Etymology/Origin
- DFB: Acronym for "Deutscher Fußball‑Bund," the German Football Association, the governing body responsible for organising the competition.
- Pok al: German term meaning “cup,” derived from the French word “pokal,” which historically referred to a trophy or cup.
- The season designation “2025–26” follows the conventional European football calendar, indicating a competition that starts in the latter half of 2025 and finishes in the first half of 2026.
Characteristics
- Format: Single‑match knockout; ties are settled by extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot‑out.
- Seeding: In the first round, clubs from the top two divisions are drawn against lower‑division qualifiers, with the lower‑division side receiving home‑field advantage. Subsequent rounds are unseeded.
- Eligibility: All professional clubs from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga automatically qualify. Additional slots are allocated to winners of the 21 regional cup competitions (Verbandspokale) and selected teams from the 3. Liga and Oberliga based on DFB criteria.
- European Qualification: The champion secures a berth in the UEFA Europa League group stage for the 2026–27 European season, unless the club has already qualified for a UEFA competition via league position, in which case the spot passes to the next eligible Bundesliga team.
- Prize Money: The DFB distributes financial rewards to participating clubs, with increasing amounts for each progressive round, culminating in a substantial prize for the winner.
Related Topics
- DFB-Pokal – General article covering the history, format, and significance of the competition.
- 2024–25 DFB-Pokal – The immediately preceding season, providing context for team performances and defending champions.
- Bundesliga – Germany’s top-flight league; its clubs constitute the majority of DFB‑Pokal participants.
- UEFA Europa League – Continental competition for which the DFB‑Pokal winner qualifies.
- German Football Association (DFB) – Governing body overseeing the tournament’s organization and regulations.
- Olympiastadion (Berlin) – Traditional venue for the DFB‑Pokal final.