Overview
- The draw takes place on 2 November at about 17:50 CET at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, broadcast live on ZDF during halftime of Germany–Iceland in handball with Felix van den Hövel drawing.
- All 16 teams will be drawn from a single pot, the first club drawn will host, and VAR returns from the round of 16.
- Round-of-16 ties are scheduled for 2–3 December, with quarterfinals in early and mid February, semifinals in mid April, and the final on 23 May 2026 in Berlin.
- The field comprises 10 Bundesliga and 6 second-tier clubs, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, VfB Stuttgart and Hamburger SV.
- Sky will show every match live with a conference option, DAZN will carry highlights from midnight, ARD/ZDF hold 15 free-to-air games including both semifinals and the final, and prize money has risen to €1,483,202 for last-16 teams with €4.32 million for the winner of the final.