Bayern meets contractions, BVB in the derby: DFB Cup draw is here!

Bayern meets contractions, BVB in the derby: DFB Cup draw is here!

The first main round of the 2025/26 DFB Cup was drawn today at the German Football Museum in Dortmund and the results are already providing plenty of food for discussion. The fans can look forward to exciting encounters starting from August 15th to 18th, 2025.

Traditional club FC Bayern Munich has the pleasure of playing against third division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden. This is a clear favorite for the Munich team, but the cup is known for always causing surprises. Another giant, the defending champion VfB Stuttgart, plays against Eintracht Braunschweig, a representative of the Second Bundesliga. These encounters promise a lot of excitement and are the start of a long and exciting cup adventure.

The big duels and other fixtures

Of course, the encounter between Arminia Bielefeld and Werder Bremen is also at the top of the list of highlights. Bielefeld, cup finalists last season, will play against Bundesliga club Bremen again. It should not be forgotten that Bielefeld won against Bremen in the quarter-finals last year, which only increases the anticipation for this duel.

Another interesting face of the first round is the Ruhrpott derby between Borussia Dortmund and Rot-Weiss Essen, which also makes the fans curious. When the spirits collide in this game, a footballing treat is guaranteed!

Bayer Leverkusen meets SG Sonnenhof Großaspach, and Eintracht Frankfurt has the honor of playing against Oberliga club FV Engers from Rhineland-Palatinate. Eintracht will start the race as favorites, but will also be warned about the possibility of being taken by surprise by the amateurs.

Dates, formats and financial aspects

The exact kick-off times for the games have not yet been determined, but the games will be played between August 15th and 18th, while Bayern and Stuttgart will only take part in the cup on August 26th and 27th due to their participation in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. A total of 64 clubs will be represented in the first main round, divided into an amateur pot and a professional pot, the latter comprising the 18 Bundesliga clubs and the best-placed second division teams.

The financial side is also interesting. Last season, the cup winner received almost 11 million euros, and participation in the first main round brought more than 200,000 euros. In the run-up to the new season, the exact bonuses are still unknown, but it is clear that income from tickets and perimeter advertising must be shared after deducting costs and taxes.

The other dates in the DFB Cup have also already been set. The second round is scheduled for October 28th and 29th, 2025, followed by the round of 16 on December 2nd and 3rd, 2025. The quarterfinals will take place in February 2026, while the semifinals are scheduled for April 2026. The grand finale in the Berlin Olympic Stadium will finally take place on May 23, 2026.

The anticipation for the cup season is growing and football fans in Hesse and far beyond can look forward to exciting duels. Keep the dates free and follow the exciting developments in the DFB Cup!

Provides more information about this wochenblatt.de, sportschau.de and footystats.org.