The 2025/26 Bundesliga season: tickets, information and dates

Which teams will be promoted and relegated in the 2025/26 season?

The relegation is over and the 18 teams for the 2025/26 season have been finalised.

For example, 1. FC Heidenheim was able to secure relegation against SV Elversberg with a 2-2 draw in the first leg and 1-2 in the subsequent second leg.

Hamburger SV and 1. FC Cologne were also promoted to the 1st Bundesliga.

Unfortunately, however, there will also be relegated teams. VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel were unable to hold their own in the Bundesliga and will therefore be relegated to Bundesliga 2 for the coming season.

What does the 2025/26 Bundesliga calendar look like?

The match schedule for the upcoming 2025/26 Bundesliga season has been finalised and promises exciting football moments. The season will kick off on 22 August 2025 with the opening match between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen in the 63rd Bundesliga. These and many other important dates were set and approved by the Executive Committee of the German Football Association (DFB).

After the 15th matchday of the Bundesliga (20 December 2025) is completed, the league will take a break. This matchday marks the only “English week” in the entire season, in which several matches are played within a few days.

After the winter break, the Bundesliga will return to action on 10 January 2026 and the teams will once again compete on the pitch.

The link will take you to the DFB’s complete framework calendar.

Constant kick-off times: Bundesliga season 2025/26 remains unchanged

The kick-off times for the upcoming 2025/26 Bundesliga season will remain unchanged compared to the previous season.

This means that Friday matches will continue to start at 8.30 pm. Saturday matches will kick off at 3.30 pm. The top match of the day will also remain at 6.30 pm. Sunday matches will also retain their usual kick-off times. That would be at 3.30pm and 5.30pm.

So you can look forward to a constant and familiar schedule for your Bundesliga weekends, with the matches taking place at the usual times.

Bundesliga TV coverage: Sky and DAZN share the rights

TV broadcasts will remain largely unchanged in the coming season. Both Sky and DAZN continue to have the rights to the broadcasts. Sky will broadcast all Friday and Saturday matches, including the top match. DAZN, on the other hand, will show the Sunday matches and the conference on Saturday.

In addition to the conventional TV broadcast, Sky customers also have the option of accessing the live stream via WOW. Please note, however, that there are additional costs for accessing WOW.

Sat.1 also broadcasts the season opener and the second half of the season on free-to-air TV, while matches on weekdays are broadcast in full by Sky. DAZN will again take over the conferences. There is therefore a mixture of pay TV and free TV broadcasts, giving you a wide range of options.

Bundesliga standings in focus: Champions League, Europa League and relegation battle

During the course of a Bundesliga season, it is not only the battle for the German championship that is in the spotlight, but the relegation battle and qualification for the European competitions are also of great importance to the fans.

Here is an overview of what the various positions mean for the clubs:

• 1st place in the table: The winner of the championship receives the coveted championship trophy and automatically qualifies for the upcoming UEFA Champions League season.
• 2nd to 4th place in the table: The teams that finish in these positions also secure a place in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
• 5th and 6th place in the table: These teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 and thus have the chance to play internationally.
• 7th place in the table: The team that finishes seventh will take part in the play-offs for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
• 16th place in the table: The club in this position has to go into the relegation play-offs to secure its place in the Bundesliga.
• 17th and 18th place in the table: The teams that finish in these places are relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga and must compete in this division next season.

This overview illustrates the importance of the individual rankings and the consequences they have for the clubs. While the focus is on the battle for the championship, the relegation battle and participation in European competitions are also very important for many clubs.