German Bundesliga

Publication date: 12 August 2025

About the Bundesliga

The Bundesliga (the Fußball-Bundesliga) is a professional football league among German clubs. There are 18 clubs in the Bundesliga. The championship runs from August to May according to a relegation and promotion system. All Bundesliga teams participate in the DFB-Pokal. The winner of the tournament qualifies for the DFL-Supercup.

Bundesliga Website

2025/2026 Bundesliga

The 63nd season of the German Bundesliga will start on 22 August 2025 and will end on 16 May 2026. Two new clubs will take part in the tournament – St. Pauli and Holstein.

Key dates of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season

Bundesliga start (Matchday 1): 22–24 August 2025
Bundesliga end (Matchday 34): 16 May 2026
Bundesliga 2. start (Matchday 1): 1–3 August 2025
Bundesliga 2. end (Matchday 34): 17 May 2026
Relegation playoffs (first legs): 21/22 May 2026
Relegation playoffs (return legs): 25/26 May 2026

History of the Fußball-Bundesliga

The history of football in Germany began in the mid-19th century. At that time, sports clubs began to appear in the German Empire where people could engage in various sports. Since then, football as a sport began to gain popularity.

The German Football Association (DFB) was founded in 1900, and became a member of FIFA in 1904.

Regional football leagues began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century. This later led to the formation of a single championship known as the Bundesliga.

The year of 1963 is famous in German football as the year of the first German Football Championship (Bundesliga). The team from Cologne became the first champions.

In the history of the Bundesliga, FC Bayern have won the league title 32 times.