When does Bundesliga 2025/26 start? Dates, promotions, and everything you need to know

The 2025/26 Bundesliga season is close. A little over a month after Club World Cup, regular season is nearly here: the calendar of the German top flight reveals that the season will kick off on August 22, and will run until May 16, 2026.

Bayern Munich, the winner of every season since 2013 except for 2024, when Bayer Leverkusen took the crown, will defend their title and try to win the first points against RB Leipzig, in the opening match of the season. The times for the first matchday, out of 34, are:

Friday, August 22

• Bayern vs. RB Leipzig: 20:30 CEST, 19:30 BST

Saturday, August 23

• Leverkusen vs. Hoffenheim: 15:30 CEST, 14:30 BST


• Union Berlin vs. Stuttgart: 15:30 CEST, 14:30 BST


• Freiburg vs. Augsburg: 15:30 CEST, 14:30 BST


• Heidenheim vs. Wolfsburg: 15:30 CEST, 14:30 BST


• Frankfurt vs. Werder Bremen: 15:30 CEST, 14:30 BST


• St. Pauli vs. Borussia Dortmund: 18:30 CEST, 17:30 BST

Sunday, August 24

• Mainz 05 vs. Köln: 15:30 CEST, 14:30 BST


• Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Hamburg: 17:30 CEST, 16:30 BST

All teams from Bundesliga 2025/26

This season, FC Köln and Hamburger SV return to top flight, while Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum were relegated to Bundesliga 2. These are the 18 teams this year in first division:

• FC Augsburg


• Union Berlin


• Werder Bremen


• Borussia Dortmund


• Eintracht Frankfurt


• SC Freiburg


• Hamburger SV


• 1. FC Heidenheim


• TSG Hoffenheim Sinsheim


• 1. FC Köln Cologne


• RB Leipzig Leipzig


• Bayer Leverkusen


• Mainz 05 Mainz


• Borussia Mönchengladbach


• Bayern Munich


• FC St. Pauli


• VfB Stuttgart


• VfL Wolfsburg