Overview

• The draw was held on June 15 at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, with sprinter Owen Ansah as Losfee and DFB vice-president Peter Frymuth overseeing proceedings.
• Sixty-four clubs were split into two pots—Bundesliga and top 14 2. Bundesliga teams in one, lower-division qualifiers in the other—and all underdogs drawn first will host their matches.
• Key ties include Arminia Bielefeld versus Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund against Rot-Weiss Essen in a Ruhr derby, and RB Leipzig facing SV Sandhausen.
• Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich open at SV Wehen Wiesbaden while VfB Stuttgart travels to Eintracht Braunschweig on August 26–27 due to their Supercup fixture.
• The competition concludes with a final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on May 23, 2026, and the winner secures a place in next season’s Europa League group stage.