At the start of the international break, Germany were only able to draw 3-3 against Turkey on Wednesday night; the Werkself players Jonathan Tah and Nadiem Amiri came on in the second half. The friendly involving Germany is followed by a Nations League clash in Ukraine on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 20.45 CEST/live on ARD). Germany coach Joachim Löw announced his 23-man squad for the away game on Thursday.
The 60-year-old has kept Werkself central defender Tah in his squad alongside former Leverkusen players Bernd Leno, Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz. In contrast, Nadiem Amiri will not travel to Ukraine. The 23-year-old is one of five players Löw has not included in his squad for the next game.
The youngest Bundesliga goalscorer, the gold Fritz Walter Medal – and the next sporting milestone in sight. Bayer 04 youngster Florian Wirtz is in the current U21 squad and, if he plays in the Euro qualifier against Moldova on Friday, 9 October (kick-off: 18.15 CEST/live on ProSieben MAXX), he will become the youngest Germany U21 international – at the age of 17 years and 159 days.
This week, the U21 head coach Stefan Kuntz again praised the Leverkusen player. “Florian is one of the outstanding talents in Germany,” said the 57-year-old. “We’re happy we have such a very, very big talent here with us. Because he has things that we can’t completely cover in our squad.”
Wirtz was originally due to make his debut for the oldest Germany junior team in September. However, the Werkself’s participation in the Europa League led to the parties agreeing to postpone his debut.
His record last season is worth a look: 7 goals in 24 Bundesliga matches – 3 goals in 4 DFB Cup games– 2 goals in 3 appearances in the Europa League. Lucas Alario always proved reliable in front of the opposition goal last term. The Argentina international is now in his fourth season at the Werkself – and on Wednesday he was 28.
The central striker celebrated his birthday back home in Argentina: Alario, like Exequiel Palacios, is currently playing for La Albiceleste for a place at the World Cup. Bayer 04 wish: Many happy returns on your birthday, Lucas!
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day six (Friday 7 August) is as follows: This morning, the squad completed their final training session – this time behind closed doors – here in Blankenhain, before heading back to Leverkusen after lunch. The big season launch is scheduled for tomorrow.
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