
There was a big and positive surprise with the call-up to the Germany squad for Werkself midfielder Robert Andrich. The 29-year-old, called up for the first time, was delighted: “Of course, I’m incredibly pleased. I have to say it was a very big surprise but I’m looking forward to it and I definitely won’t forget today.”

Call-ups to date:
Robert Andrich, Jonas Hofmann, Jonathan Tah und Florian Wirtz (Germany)
Exequiel Palacios (Argentina)
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
Lukas Hradecky (Finland)
Josip Stanisic (Croatia)
Adam Hlozek (Czechia)
Amine Adli (Morocco)
Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso)
Piero Hincapie (Ecuador)
Victor Boniface (Nigeria)
Noah Mbamba (Belgium U19)
Madi Monamay (Belgium U18)
Call-ups to the Spain and Netherlands squads are yet to be announced.

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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more