The men who are in the running for the best XI of the last year are Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong. The quintet were previously voted into the Bundesliga Team of the Season last year. The five Bayer 04 players were also shortlisted for the Men's 11 in The Best FIFA Football Awards.
Meanwhile, Kristin Kögel of Bayer 04 Women is up for the female top XI of 2024. The Women's Team of the Year is being awarded for the second time this year, with Kögel the first Leverkusen player to be nominated.
The Men's Team of the Year will be selected from over 80 players, while there are a total of 70 women's players to choose from. Both teams will consist of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers. In both cases, a twelfth TOTY card is also chosen. In addition, EA Sports traditionally awards other players with TOTY cards as ‘Honourable Mentions’.
The vote runs until Monday 13 January, with the final TOTYs being announced successively by position from 17 January.
Bayer 04 host Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the 2025/26 DFB Pokal. The tie will be played on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, at the BayArena with the kick-off at 20:45 CEST. Information on ticket sales.
Show more
Bayer 04 have the chance to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the third time ever and the first in 14 years at Arsenal on Tuesday night (kick-off 21:00 CEST/20:00 local time). To do that, the Werkself not only require a strong performance like in the first leg, but also full concentration until the very last minute, as the Premier League leaders like to score late - as they did at the BayArena last week. Here's the Matchday News.
Show more
A special award for special social commitment. At this year's ceremony for the Sepp Herberger Awards in Wolfsburg on Monday night, the DFB Sepp Herberger Foundation recognised Bayer 04 in the social rehabilitation category. The Bundesliga club received the prize, together with €12,000, for its great service to inmates, particularly in the Wuppertal-Ronsdorf prison.
Show more
Can Bayer 04 pull off a coup in London? Just over a week after the 1-1 draw in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, the Werkself are now looking to put in a convincing performance away at Arsenal – and get a result to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Ahead of the match on Tuesday, (kick-off: 21:00 CET), head coach Kasper Hjulmand shared his thoughts on the team’s hunger for success. Exequiel Palacios, meanwhile, spoke about the importance of the fixture and the team’s development over the past few months.
Show more
In their last two matches, they’ve done exactly what 'Laterkusen' did in the 2023/24 double-winning season: late on, but not too late, the Gunners scored crucial goals – first in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Bayer 04, then last weekend in the Premier League against Everton. This Tuesday, 17 March (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Arsenal host the Werkself in London. The latest on our opponents.
Show more
