DFB-Pokal 2024-25 is the 82nd edition of Germany’s annual domestic cup competition. A total of 64 teams are taking part, including all clubs from the previous season’s Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. The tournament kicked off on August 16, 2024, and will conclude on May 24, 2025, with the final held at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, a traditionally neutral venue that has hosted the final since 1985. The DFB-Pokal is regarded as the second-most prestigious title in German club football, behind the Bundesliga championship, and is organized by the German Football Association (DFB). Bayer Leverkusen, the defending champions, were knocked out in the semi-finals by Arminia Bielefeld.
The DFB-Pokal winner secures a place in the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League league stage. If the winner has already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League through their Bundesliga standing (finishing no lower than sixth), the Europa League spot will pass to the sixth-placed team, and the UEFA Conference League play-off round spot will go to the team finishing seventh. Additionally, the DFB-Pokal winners will host the 2025 DFL-Supercup, facing the Bundesliga champions from the 2024–25 season.
Defending champions: 
Bayer Leverkusen
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Round of 16 matches
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
3 December 2024 
Arminia Bielefeld3–1 
SC Freiburg
3 December 2024 
Jahn Regensburg0–3 
VfB Stuttgart
3 December 2024 
Bayern Munich0–1 Bayer Leverkusen
3 December 2024 
Werder Bremen1–0 
Darmstadt 98
4 December 2024 
1. FC Köln2–1 (a.e.t.) 
Hertha BSC
4 December 2024 
VfL Wolfsburg3–0 
TSG Hoffenheim
4 December 2024 
RB Leipzig3–0 
Eintracht Frankfurt
4 December 2024 
Karlsruher SC2–2 (a.e.t.)
4–5 (penalties)
FC Augsburg
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Quarter final matches
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
4 February 2025 VfB Stuttgart1–0 FC Augsburg
5 February 2025 Bayer Leverkusen3–2 (a.e.t.) 1. FC Köln
25 February 2025 Arminia Bielefeld2–1 Werder Bremen
26 February 2025 RB Leipzig1–0 VfL Wolfsburg
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Semi final matches
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
1 April 2025 Arminia Bielefeld2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
2 April 2025 VfB Stuttgart3–1 RB Leipzig
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Final match
24 May 2025 20:00 CEST, Olympiastadion, Berlin
| Arminia Bielefeld |
Vs | VfB Stuttgart |
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Top Goal scorers
Rank Player Club Goals
1 
Patrik Schick Bayer Leverkusen4
2 
Benjamin Šeško RB Leipzig4
3 
Nick Woltemade VfB Stuttgart4
4 
Jamal Musiala Bayern Munich3
5 Marius Wörl Arminia Bielefeld3
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Draw
In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, the 64 participating teams were divided into two pots of 32. The first pot included all clubs that qualified through regional cup competitions, the top four teams from the 3. Liga, and the bottom four from the 2. Bundesliga. The second pot contained the remaining professional teams—specifically, all Bundesliga clubs and the other 14 teams from the 2. Bundesliga. Each team from the first pot was drawn against a team from the second pot, with the first pot teams automatically designated as the home sides.
In the second round, the same two-pot approach was used: one pot for any remaining 3. Liga and/or amateur clubs, and the other for the remaining Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga teams. The lower-tier teams continued to receive home advantage. However, unlike the first round, the pots didn’t need to be equal in size. If all lower-tier teams had been eliminated, the draw would have used just a single pot. Once one pot was empty, the rest of the matchups were drawn from the other, with the first-drawn team serving as the host.
From the round of 16 onward, all pairings were drawn from a single pot, regardless of league level. If a 3. Liga or amateur team was drawn against a professional side, the lower-tier team would host the match. In all other cases, the team drawn first in each tie would be the home team.
DFB-Pokal 2024-25 team participation
The 2024–25 DFB-Pokal began with a starting field of 64 teams. Automatic qualification was granted to all 36 clubs from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, as well as the top four finishers from the 3. Liga.
The remaining 24 places were allocated as follows: 21 went to the winners of the regional football association cups, known as the Verbandspokal. The final three spots were given to the regional associations with the highest number of men’s teams—Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Westphalia:
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Bavaria: The best-placed amateur team from the Regionalliga Bayern qualified.
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Lower Saxony: The Lower Saxony Cup was divided into two separate paths—one for teams from the 3. Liga and Regionalliga Nord, and another for amateur sides. Each path’s winner earned a spot.
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Westphalia: The qualification alternates annually between the best-placed Westphalian club from the Regionalliga West and the top amateur team from the Oberliga Westfalen. For the 2024–25 edition, the spot was awarded to a team from the Oberliga.
In principle, any team could compete in the DFB-Pokal by entering local competitions that led to the regional association cups. However, reserve teams, joint football sections, and multiple teams under the same association or ownership were not permitted to participate.
