DFB-Pokal draw: Eintracht Frankfurt face fifth-division side SC St. Tönis in round one

Draw conductor and venue

Deniz Aytekin, who was honoured as "Referee of the Year" and has only recently ended his active career, drew the lots at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. A native of Oberasbach, he is one of the best-known referee personalities in German football and was engaged to conduct the draw for the first cup round. The event is regarded as the curtain-raiser for the new cup season.

Alongside the match in St. Tönis, further ties with clear roles were drawn. Third-division side SV Weihen Wiesbaden from Hesse will host Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Second-division side Darmstadt 98 will play in the first round away to fourth-division side Carl Zeiss Jena. Several ties therefore see higher-division teams face clubs from the lower leagues.

Further first-round ties

The first round will be played from 21 to 24 August, with the exception of the matches involving FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. Bayern and Borussia Dortmund will play their first-round ties at a separate date, which will be communicated separately. The cup competition therefore begins for the majority of clubs in the middle of their summer preparation.

The final will be held on 29 May 2027 at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Until then, the participants must come through six rounds. Title holder and record cup winner is FC Bayern Munich, who this season will make use of their separate first-round date.

Dates and the 2027 final

The draw on Saturday evening carried a symbolic note alongside the sporting one: in Aytekin, who has only just ended his career, a referee legend stood at the lottery drum. The role of the "Losfee" (draw conductor) has long been a cherished tradition in the German cup, linking different generations of football.

For SC St. Tönis, the draw represents an extraordinary sporting and financial bonus. Home matches against Bundesliga clubs fill the club's coffers and attract media attention. The club from the Lower Rhine region can look forward to a day when the entire footballing nation turns its eyes on the club.

Overall, the DFB-Pokal is once again this season a competition in which the underdogs seek their chance. The draw has laid the groundwork for this: several third- and fourth-division sides face higher-division opponents, which should provide excitement from the very first round. The exact scheduling of the individual matches will be announced by the German Football Association (DFB) in the coming weeks.

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