
A number of current and former top athletes are set to take part in the third charity football match to be held at the home of the Werkself. Proceeds from the game will go to the 41 Campus Project of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation and projects run by the Keep Fighting Foundation of the Schumacher family.
The event starts at 16.30 CET and there will be a wide range of activities in and around the BayArena.
The two teams, ' Nowitzki All-Stars' and 'Schumacher & Friends’ will be able to count on support from the Bayer 04 ranks: Simon Rolfes and Stefan Kießling have already said yes to Dirk and Mick. One or two other Werkself players from the current squad will also make an appearance at the event - Peter Bosz and his players are set to return to Leverkusen from the training In Zell am See/Kaprun just before the match.
"I'm looking forward to coming back to Germany in the summer and taking part in a great football event with the fans and lots of athletes. Even if I'm not the most talented footballer, it's always great fun and I'll do my best," said Nowitzki. "I'm looking forward to an exciting and successful Champions for Charity event in Leverkusen," added his opposite number Schumacher.
Tickets for the Champions for Charity event are available now from €10 at www.champions-for-charity.de.

The Leverkusen eSports team played the remaining three of the six matches in the online preliminary round of the fourth showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg were among the teams with the highest goal threat, including two World Cup participants in their ranks. Although the #B04eSports players were defeated in the matches overall, nine points from the first three games last week were enough for Leverkusen to advance to the offline round in Berlin on 2 February.
Show more
A decisive showdown awaits: The Werkself are aiming to progress to the play-off round of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League with a home win against Villarreal CF on the eighth and final matchday of the league phase. Ahead of the match on Wednesday, 28 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the game, the possible return of Edmond Tapsoba and a statement from new signing Jonas Omlin in an exclusive interview with Werkself TV. Lucas Vázquez, for his part, spoke about his role on and off the pitch as well as tomorrow’s opponents, who he often faced in Spain with Real Madrid.
Show more
For Villarreal CF, the match at Bayer 04 on Wednesday, 28 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), will be their last appearance on the European stage this season. The Spanish side, currently fourth in La Liga, are still without a win in the UEFA Champions League and, with just one point from their seven games so far, have no chance of making the play-offs. The 2021 Europa League winners can therefore play without any pressure at the BayArena and will be looking to bow out of the competition with a good performance. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).
Show more
The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more