The 2026-27 Bundesliga marks the 64th season of Germany’s top-flight football league. Bayern Munich enters the competition as the reigning champions following a dominant 2025–26 campaign where they secured 89 points and scored 122 goals.
This season welcomes 2. Bundesliga champions Schalke 04, along with SV Elversberg and SC Paderborn, who earned promotion to the top tier. They replace VfL Wolfsburg, Heidenheim, and St. Pauli, all of whom were relegated at the end of the 2025–26 season.
A total of 18 teams will participate, organized by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL). The league continues to have the highest average attendance per match worldwide. The action kicks off on Friday, August 28, 2026, featuring an exciting opening match between Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena.
The 2026-27 Bundesliga season will conclude on May 22, 2027, with all nine Matchday-34 fixtures played simultaneously. Fighting for the championship, where a top-four finish secures a spot in the 2027-28 UEFA Champions League, while also trying to steer clear of the relegation zone and playoff spots.
All eyes will be on Bayern Munich as they look to defend their crown following a historic and record-breaking 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign. Last season, the Bavarian giants showcased absolute tactical superiority, obliterating defenses to finish with a staggering 89 points and an unprecedented 122 goals.
Their relentless attacking form has set a massive benchmark for the upcoming year, leaving rivals wondering how to stop the reigning champions.
2026-27 Bundesliga Teams, Managers & Home Stadiums
| Club | Home Stadium | City | Manager | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Augsburg | WWK Arena | Augsburg | Manuel Baum | Jeffrey Gouweleeuw |
| 1. FC Union Berlin | Stadion An der Alten Försterei | Berlin | Mauro Lustrinelli | Christopher Trimmel |
| SV Werder Bremen | Weserstadion | Bremen | Daniel Thioune | Marco Friedl |
| Borussia Dortmund | Signal Iduna Park | Dortmund | Niko Kovač | Emre Can |
| SV Elversberg | Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde | Spiesen‑Elversberg | Vincent Wagner | Lukas Pinckert |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Deutsche Bank Park | Frankfurt | Adi Hütter | Robin Koch |
| SC Freiburg | Europa‑Park Stadion | Freiburg im Breisgau | Julian Schuster | Christian Günter |
| Hamburger SV | Volksparkstadion | Hamburg | Merlin Polzin | Yussuf Poulsen |
| TSG Hoffenheim | PreZero / SNP Arena | Sinsheim | Christian Ilzer | Oliver Baumann |
| 1. FC Köln | RheinEnergieStadion | Cologne | René Wagner | Marvin Schwäbe |
| RB Leipzig | Red Bull Arena | Leipzig | Martín Demichelis | David Raum |
| Bayer 04 Leverkusen | BayArena | Leverkusen | Carles Martínez Novell | Robert Andrich |
| 1. FSV Mainz 05 | Mewa ARENA | Mainz | Urs Fischer | Silvan Widmer |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | Borussia‑Park | Mönchengladbach | Eugen Polanski | Tim Kleindienst |
| FC Bayern Munich | Allianz Arena | Munich | Vincent Kompany | Manuel Neuer |
| SC Paderborn 07 | Home Deluxe Arena | Paderborn | Ralf Kettemann | Felix Götze |
| FC Schalke 04 | Veltins‑Arena | Gelsenkirchen | Miron Muslić | Kenan Karaman |
| VfB Stuttgart | MHPArena | Stuttgart | Sebastian Hoeneß | Atakan Karazor |
(Several mid‑table clubs still list provisional or newly appointed coaches; update names once official announcements are locked in by your publication date.)
2026-27 Bundesliga Standings or Points Table
Excitement is growing as the 2026-27 Bundesliga season nears, with prominent clubs such as Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, and SC Freiburg anticipated to be leading contenders in the upcoming tournament.
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Augsburg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Union Berlin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Werder Bremen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Borussia Dortmund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | SV Elversberg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | SC Freiburg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Hamburger SV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | TSG Hoffenheim | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 1. FC Köln | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | RB Leipzig | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Bayer Leverkusen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Mainz 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Borussia M’gladbach | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Bayern Munich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | SC Paderborn 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FC Schalke 04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | VfB Stuttgart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Standard qualification & relegation (current format):
- Qualification for the Champions League – League Phase – S No 1 to 4
- Qualification for the Europa League – League Phase – S No 5
- Qualification for the Conference League play-off Round – S No 6
- Qualification for the relegation playoffs – S No 16
- Relegation to 2. Bundesliga – S No 17 and S No 18
Promoted to Bundesliga (From 2. Bundesliga)
- FC Schalke 04: Returning to Germany’s top flight as the division champions after a three-year absence.
- SV Elversberg: Making their historic, absolute Bundesliga debut as the 59th unique club to ever play in the competition.
- SC Paderborn: Earning their promotion ticket by winning the relegation/promotion play-off tie, returning to the first tier after six years away.
Relegated to 2. Bundesliga (From Bundesliga)
- VfL Wolfsburg: Relegated to the second tier for the first time in club history after losing the relegation play-offs, ending an elite run that began in 1997.
- 1. FC Heidenheim: Sent back down after a memorable three-year stay in the top division.
- FC St. Pauli: Relegated back to the second tier after spending the last two seasons in the top flight.
Key season information
- Season dates: 28 August 2026 – 22 May 2027.
- Opening match: Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart at Allianz Arena, Friday 28 August.
- Promoted clubs: Schalke 04, SV Elversberg (first‑ever Bundesliga season), SC Paderborn 07 (via play‑off).
- Relegated clubs (down from 2025–26): VfL Wolfsburg, 1. FC Heidenheim, FC St. Pauli.
Top managers to watch
- Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich): The Belgian tactician is aiming to defend his crown with a star-studded squad featuring Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala, looking to build on their record-breaking numbers from last season.
- Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund): The proven Bundesliga winner continues his tenure at Dortmund, focusing heavily on closing the tactical gap to Bayern and preparing the squad for a deep UEFA Champions League run.
- Martín Demichelis (RB Leipzig): The former Argentina international and Bayern Munich player takes the helm at Leipzig, tasked with keeping the club in the absolute title conversation while integrating fresh attacking talents.
- Carles Martínez Novell (Bayer Leverkusen): The former Toulouse coach arrives at the BayArena on a two-year deal, eager to bring his distinct footballing philosophy to a young, highly explosive Leverkusen side.
- Urs Fischer (Mainz 05): Renowned for his rigid defensive organization and discipline, the veteran manager enters the season determined to keep Mainz clear of any relegation scraps and push for a European spot.
- Miron Muslić (Schalke 04): After successfully leading the Royal Blues back to the top flight as 2. Bundesliga champions last season, the promising young coach aims to stabilize Schalke in the first tier.
Key star players
- Bayern Munich: Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Manuel Neuer, Michael Olise, João Palhinha.
- Borussia Dortmund: Serhou Guirassy, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Gregor Kobel, Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi.
- RB Leipzig: Benjamin Šeško, Xavi Simons, Lois Openda, David Raum, Castello Lukeba.
- Bayer Leverkusen: Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Alejandro Grimaldo, Patrik Schick, Jeremie Frimpong, Victor Boniface.
- VfB Stuttgart: Ermedin Demirović, Deniz Undav, Chris Führich, Angelo Stiller, Alexander Nübel.
- Eintracht Frankfurt: Omar Marmoush, Hugo Ekitiké, Mario Götze, Kevin Trapp.
- SC Freiburg: Vincenzo Grifo, Matthias Ginter, Ritsu Doan, Noah Atubolu.
- Hamburger SV: Robert Glatzel, Ludovit Reis, Daniel Elfadli.
- Schalke 04: Kenan Karaman, Moussa Sylla, Paul Seguin, Ron-Thorben Hoffmann.
Where to watch the 2026-27 Bundesliga
Broadcast partnerships for the 2026-27 Bundesliga season have been significantly updated across various territories. Here is a comprehensive directory of where to stream and watch the matches live in the United States, Canada, and Europe:
United States (New Broadcast Deal)
The Bundesliga shifted away from ESPN+ for the 2026-27 Bundesliga cycle, introducing a split-rights structure for English and Spanish coverage:
- English Language: Matches are managed by Versant’s USA Sports. At least 30 marquee matches will air live on the USA Network, while all remaining 300+ matches are available to stream completely free via the Fandango app.
- Spanish Language: Managed exclusively by NBCUniversal’s Telemundo. More than 100 matches will broadcast linearly across Telemundo and Universo, while every single match of the season can be live-streamed with a subscription to Peacock.
Canada
In Canada, DAZN holds extended rights to the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga through at least the 2027–28 season:
- DAZN: All Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga matches are live on DAZN Canada, including the Supercup and relegation play-offs. The primary hub for German football fans in Canada, offering live coverage and full on-demand replays of matches throughout the season.
- OneSoccer: Retains a package of broadcasting rights to select fixtures.
- Creator Sports Network (CSN): A special digital-first addition where select live matches are co-streamed for free via popular content creators on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
Europe
Broadcast rights vary significantly by country throughout Europe. You can find a complete region-by-region directory on the official 2026-27 Bundesliga Broadcaster Index. Key regional coverage details include:
Germany (domestic market) – rights split between pay‑TV and streaming, with some free‑to‑air coverage:
- Sky Deutschland: All Friday games, all Saturday matches (including the 18:30 “Topspiel”), plus extensive 2. Bundesliga coverage, available on Sky Q, Sky Stream and WOW.
- DAZN: Saturday afternoon Konferenz (live whip‑around) and all Sunday matches, plus some Saturday evening games.
- Free‑to‑air:
- Sat.1 / RTL / Sport1: Selected openers, Supercup and relegation play‑offs.
- ARD & ZDF: Sportschau and Sportstudio highlights on Saturday evening and other slots.
United Kingdom & Ireland
- Sky Sports: Primary rights‑holder for live Bundesliga games; matches are shown across the Sky Sports channels and via streaming on Sky Go / NOW.
Rest of Europe
- Many countries broadcast Bundesliga through regional sports networks and streaming partners. Fans can use the official Bundesliga broadcaster locator to find the channel for their specific country.
