The 2026-27 Bundesliga season officially starts on August 28, 2026, with defending champions Bayern Munich playing at home against Stuttgart. Borussia Dortmund will host Hamburg, while newcomers Elversberg face Bayer Leverkusen in their opening matches. This season sees Stuttgart and Mainz joining the league, replacing relegated teams Carl Zeiss Jena and Essen.

The Women's Bundesliga began earlier on August 21, 2026, with Bayern Munich defeating Union Berlin in the capital.

In line with German football tradition, the men's domestic season effectively started the week before the league with the first round of the German Cup. However, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will play their first-round games later, as they contested the German Super Cup—a match between the previous season's league and cup winners—where Bayern emerged victorious.

The winter break for the Bundesliga will commence after the 14th game of the season on December 20, 2026. A new substitution rule requires substitutes to leave the pitch within 10 seconds; failure to do so means the incoming player must wait until a break in play, at least a minute later, before entering the field.

Significant player movements include Borussia Dortmund signing Konstantinos Karetsas from KRC Genk for a reported €30 million ($34.6 million). Bayer Leverkusen parted ways with Alejandro Grimaldo and Matej Kovar, while Freiburg's Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi transferred to Aston Villa for a reported €60 million.

These developments set the stage for an exciting Bundesliga season across both men's and women's competitions.

Sources