In their second game in the Nations League, following the 0-0 draw in the opener against France, Germany suffered a 3-0 defeat to neighbours Holland. Virgil Van Dijk put the hosts 1-0 up from a corner on the half-hour mark in Amsterdam. Germany missed three good chances in the first half with Thomas Müller (2) and Timo Werner failing to find the back of the net. Joachim Löw's team also had chances to score after the restart with the best falling to Leroy Sané (65') and Julian Draxler (70'). Julian Brandt came on to replace debutant Mark Uth on 68 minutes to make his 21st appearance for Germany but he was unable to turn the game round. Goals from Memphis Depay (86') and Georginio Wijnaldum (90+3') sealed the win late on.
Jonathan Tah, who captained the Germany U21s to a 2-1 victory over Norway on Friday night to secure a place in next year's European Championship finals in Italy and San Marino, was called up to the senior squad by Germany coach Joachim Löw on Saturday for Tuesday's Nations League game in France.
Tin Jedvaj was in the starting line-up for World Cup runners-up Croatia for the 0-0 draw against England in Rijeka. The match was played behind closed doors – Croatia received a ban from UEFA in 2015. In the re-run of one of the semi-final games at the World Cup in Russia, Jedvaj went the full distance at right back. Austria beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the Nations League (Group B). Aleksandar Dragovic was brought ob by coach Franco Foda in the final minutes of the game to help seal the win .
Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky kept a clean sheet in the third international game in succession for Finland in Group C of the Nations League. The former Schalke player Teemu Pukki scored the only goal of the game against Estonia in added time. Sweden drew 0-0 with Russia in Group B of the Nations League. Isaac Kiese Thelin started in Kaliningrad but was substituted on 71 minutes.
In the 1-1 draw for the Germany U20s against Holland in Meppen, Sam Schreck had as little impact as Jakub Bednarczyk in the Poland U20's 3-0 win against the Czech Republic.
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.
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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.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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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.
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