
In addition to the Werkself, the following are in the category of Men's Club of the Year: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Girona. In the category of Men's Coach of the Year, Xabi Alonso is joined by Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Lionel Scaloni (Argentina).
30 players have been shortlisted for the Men's Ballon d'Or – including the Bayer 04 players Alejandro Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka.









About the Ballon d’Or:
The Ballon d'Or has been awarded by the French magazine France Football since 1956 to the best players of the calendar year or since 2022 for the previous season. Initially designed for European players at European clubs, the award was opened up from 1995 to all players playing in Europe. The winners have also been described as European Player of the Year as a result.
For the first time, the Ballon d'Or is not only awarded by France Football but also by UEFA this year.

A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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