The German Football Association (DFB) has announced the draw for the first round of the 2025/26 DFB-Pokal, with the competition set to kick off on August 15-18. The draw was conducted at the Dortmund Football Museum, with Owen Ansah, a German athlete who broke the 100-meter barrier in under 10 seconds last year, serving as the “drawing official.”
DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth assisted in the draw. The first round will feature a mix of top-tier and lower-division teams, with the exception of the reigning champions, VfB Stuttgart and the reigning Bundesliga champions, FC Bayern München, who will enter the competition later in the season due to the Supercup.
The complete draw results are as follows: Dynamo Dresden will face 1. FSV Mainz 05, Arminia Bielefeld will take on Werder Bremen and the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayern München and RB Leipzig will also be in action. The competition’s final will be held at the Berlin Olympic Stadium on May 23, 2026.