DFB-Pokal first-round draw pairs Bayern München with VfL Osnabrück as 64 teams learn their fate

How the draw works

Defending champion FC Bayern München, who lifted the trophy with a 3:0 victory over VfB Stuttgart last season, will travel to second-division promoted side VfL Osnabrück. The Bavarians enter the new campaign early because they meet Borussia Dortmund in the Supercup on 22 August, requiring the postponement of their Pokal tie. As Bayern also won the DFB-Pokal, the Bundesliga runners-up move into the Supercup slot.

Borussia Dortmund, the other half of the Supercup pairing, were drawn against Eimsbütteler BC, an amateur club from Hamburg. The fixture underlines the cup's tradition of pitting Bundesliga heavyweights against minnows from the regional associations. Dortmund, who hosted the draw ceremony, will be on the road for the opening round.

Berlin clubs in the spotlight

The standout tie from the amateur pot's perspective paired Berlin fourth-tier club VSG Altglienicke, the Berlin cup winner, with Bundesliga-relegated side VfL Wolfsburg. Altglienicke, a Regionalliga side whose ticket was pulled fourth from last, must wait through much of the ceremony before learning their fate. The club's department head, Marco Schröder, called the draw "not exactly a dream draw" on ARD television, but quickly added: "We'll take that in the second round."

1. FC Union Berlin, the Berlin Bundesliga side, will travel to Eintracht Braunschweig in the opening round, a fixture that carries recent history. Eintracht Braunschweig and Hertha BSC last met in the DFB-Pokal in the summer of 2022, with Braunschweig winning on penalties, and the two clubs have faced each other six times in the competition overall. Hertha BSC, meanwhile, a Berlin second-division side, was drawn against third-division 1. FC Saarbrücken, the 2024 semi-finalists who eliminated Bayern München, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach on that run. Saarbrücken finished the previous season in 14th place in the 3. Liga.

The two pots at a glance

The professional pot contains all 18 Bundesliga clubs from the previous season, plus the 14 best-placed teams from the 2. Bundesliga, while the amateur pot also includes lower-division professionals, such as the clubs finishing 15th to 18th in the second tier and the top four from the 3. Liga. Completing the amateur pot are the 21 regional cup winners from across Germany's football associations, among them well-known lower-division names such as 1860 München, Würzburger Kickers, Erzgebirge Aue, Hallescher FC, Carl Zeiss Jena, SC Verl, SG Sonnenhof Großaspach and SV Westfalia Rhynern, the Oberliga Westfalen champions. The draw was conducted by former Bundesliga referee Deniz Aytekin, who was assisted during the live broadcast from Dortmund.

Several Bavarian and Dortmund sides will not enter the competition until September, owing to the Supercup commitments that precede the regular Bundesliga season. The postponed ties are part of an adjusted calendar designed to accommodate Bayern and Dortmund's Supercup meeting on 22 August, with the remainder of the field playing across the traditional August window.