Löw has selected 24 players, including Max Meyer, Julian Brandt and Niklas Süle who won silver medals a week ago at Rio 2016. Commenting on the trio, Löw said : “Max Meyer and Julian Brandt have already been with us and we wanted to get to know Niklas Süle. The three youngsters earned their call-ups through their very good performances. I think they see the call-up as motivation and inspiration to produce consistent performances. With players like them we are looking to take the next step in their development. They have great potential. As a general rule: The door to the national side is open. I’m sure other players will get their chance in the coming months.”
For Karim Bellarabi and Kevin Volland this represents a return to the Germany squad after missing out on Euro 2016.
Next Wednesday’s international against Finland will be the final international appearance for Bastian Schweinsteiger. The captain announced his international retirement a few days after the Euros and the game against the Scandinavians will be cap number 121 for the 32-year-old. The game in Mönchengladbach was also supposed to present a chance for Lukas Podolski to bid farewell on the international stage. Due to injury, Podolski will have to catch up at a later date.
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
