
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.

Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
Show more
Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
Show more
In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
Show more
The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
Show more