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DFB Tops Eight Million Members as BFV Surpasses 1.7 Million

Record membership driven by youth participation, accompanied by rising female involvement, has pushed grassroots football to capacity limits.

Overview

  • The DFB recorded over eight million memberships in the 2024/25 season, marking a 3.86 percent year-on-year increase and nearly one million new members since 2021.
  • The BFV reached 1,709,199 members for the first time, buoyed by 56,152 new child players and a decade-high 34,820 active female participants.
  • Girls under 16 led national gains with a nine percent rise in membership, while the group of nine-to-eleven-year-old girls in Bavaria grew by 11.4 percent.
  • Coach licensing in Bavaria jumped 40.7 percent as 3,899 trainers completed certifications, and Germany saw over 60,000 active referees for the first time in nearly ten years.
  • DFB President Bernd Neuendorf warned that the surge has strained club capacities and urged policymakers to expand sports infrastructure to sustain growth.