Overview
- Delegates endorsed a points-based evaluation system, with an extraordinary assembly on September 26, 2026 in Baden-Baden to select the national candidate; the commission will send detailed questions in February and final concepts are due by June 4, 2026.
- Referendums are scheduled for the Rhein/Ruhr region’s 17 municipalities on April 19, 2026 (by mail) and for Hamburg on May 31, 2026; Munich already voted yes (66.4%), while Berlin will not hold a referendum, which counts negatively in the scoring.
- North Rhine-Westphalia plans to cover 85% of referendum costs with a €9.5 million budget, as Cologne projects €2.49 million and Essen €1.2 million; opposition lawmakers warn the money could be diverted from sports facility investments.
- A governance rift widened as DOSB president Thomas Weikert criticized the federal draft sports funding law, while the sports minister defended a new agency model and signaled funding will prioritize medal potential.
- National polling indicates 74% support for a German bid; Hamburg promises a detailed cost plan by February as critics press for security-cost transparency and NRW officials caution that a rejection in a major city could derail the Rhein/Ruhr bid.