
Florian Wirtz and his teammates at Bayer 04 last season won the German league title for the first time in the club's history and also became the first Bundesliga team to play a whole season without defeat in the league. In addition, the Werkself won the DFB Pokal to secure the double. Wirtz and Co. also lifted the Supercup trophy at the start of the current campaign.
The other nominations in the category of FIFA World Player are the two former Leverkusen players Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal plus Rodri, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi and Vinicius Junior.
Head coach Xabi Alonso is also in the running for this year's The Best FIFA Football Awards. His rivals in the category of Coach of the Year are Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Lionel Scaloni (Argentina), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Luis de la Fuente (Spain).
The Black and Reds are also well represented in the vote for Team of the Year: In the category of the Best FIFA Defender 2024 you can vote for Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo and in the category of the Best FIFA Midfielder 2024 for Granit Xhaka and Florian Wirtz.
Bayer 04 fans can cast their votes in the different categories up to 10 December (23.59 CET) at FIFA.com. The votes of players, coaches and media representatives also come in on equal terms. The winners will be announced at a gala event in January 2025.

Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
Show more
Like last year, Bayer 04 Women held their summer training camp in Rieden. Coach Roberto Pätzold gives his assessment of the time in the Upper Palatinate, discusses the integration of the 11 new players and the unusual team building measures, gives his thoughts on the friendly and looks ahead to the start of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga season in August.
Show more
Just in time for the start of the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Werkself will hold another open training session on Tuesday 21 July. The session at the BayArena is scheduled to start at 11:00 CEST and will again be available to watch in a live stream. The fans who are there can look forward to a very special surprise.
Show more
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
Show more