The 32 first round ties will be drawn during the ARD Sportschau from 18.00 CET (live on TV and live Internet stream). The matches will be played on the second weekend in August (9 to 11 August). The Germany women's World Cup winner Nia Künzer will draw the teams. DFB vice-president Peter Frymuth is in charge of proceedings and Markus Othmer will be the presenter.
64 teams have qualified for the 77th domestic cup competition including Bayer 04 as well as the sixth tier side from the Rhineland Palatinate FSV Salmrohr (winners of the Rhineland Cup) who are the lowest ranking participants. All the teams are divided into two groups: The first, so-called 'Pros pot', has all the Bundesliga clubs plus the top 14 teams from the second division last season. The other four clubs from the second division, the four top teams in the third division plus the 24 representatives from the state associations are in the second, so-called 'Amateur pot'
FC Heidenheim (Bundesliga 2)
FC Köln (Promoted to the Bundesliga)
FC Nürnberg (Relegated to Bundesliga 2)
FSV Mainz 05 (Bundesliga)
Arminia Bielefeld (2. Bundesliga)
Bayer 04
Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, Holders)
Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga)
Dynamo Dresden (Bundesliga 2)
Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
Erzgebirge Aue (Bundesliga 2)
FC Augsburg (Bundesliga)
FC Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
FC St. Pauli ( Bundesliga 2)
Fortuna Düsseldorf (Bundesliga)
Hamburger SV (Bundesliga 2)
Hannover 96 (Relegated to Bundesliga 2)
Hertha Berlin (Bundesliga)
Holstein Kiel (Bundesliga 2)
Jahn Regensburg (Bundesliga 2)
RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)
SC Freiburg (Bundesliga)
SC Paderborn (Promoted to the Bundesliga)
SpVgg Greuther Fürth (Bundesliga 2)
SV Darmstadt (2. Bundesliga)
TSG Hoffenheim (Bundesliga)
Union Berlin (Promoted to the Bundesliga)
VfB Stuttgart (Relegated to Bundesliga 2)
VfL Bochum (Bundesliga 2)
VfL Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)
Werder Bremen (Bundesliga)
FC Kaiserslautern (League 3, South West Cup winners)
FC Magdeburg (Relegated to League 3)
FC Saarbrücken (Regional League, Saarland Cup winners)
Alemannia Aachen (Regional League, Middle Rhine Cup winners)
Chemnitzer FC (League 3, Saxony Cup winners)
Energie Cottbus (Regional League, Brandenburg Cup winners)
FC 08 Villingen (Oberliga, South Baden Cup winners)
FC Hansa Rostock (League 3, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Cup winners)
FC Ingolstadt (Relegated to League 3)
FC Oberneuland (Oberliga, Bremen Cup winners)
FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin (Regional League, Berlin Cup winners)
FSV Salmrohr (League 6, Rhineland Cup winners)
FSV Wacker Nordhausen (Regional League, Thüringen Cup winners)
Hallescher FC (League 3)
Karlsruher SC (Promoted to League 2)
KFC Uerdingen 05 (League 3, Lower Rhine Cup winners)
MSV Duisburg (Relegated to League 3)
KSV Baunatal (Oberliga, Hessen Cup winners)
SC Verl (Regional League, Westphalia Cup finalists)
SSV Ulm 1846 (Regional League, Württemberg Cup winners)
SV Atlas Delmenhorst (Oberliga, Lower Saxony Cup finalists)
SV Drochtersen/Assel (Regional League, Lower Saxony Cup winners)
SV Rödinghausen (Regional League, Westphalia Cup winners)
SV Sandhausen (League 2)
SV Wehen Wiesbaden (Promoted to League 2)
TuS Dassendorf (Oberliga, Hamburg Cup winners)
VfB Eichstätt (Regional League, Bavaria Cup finalists)
VfB Germania Halberstadt (Regional League, Sachsen-Anhalt Cup winners)
VfB Lübeck (Regional League, Schleswig-Holstein Cup winners)
VfL Osnabrück (Promoted to League 2)
Waldhof Mannheim (League 3, Baden Cup winners)
Würzburger Kickers (League 3, Bayern Cup winners)
Today sees Bayer 04 go head-to-head with their next direct rivals in the race for Champions League qualification (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Opponents Stuttgart are currently fifth in the table, level on points with the Werkself but one place below them due to a three-goal inferior goal difference. The Black and Reds' record at Bad Cannstatt tells a clearer story: they've not lost at VfB for over 16 years. One important factor in securing what would be three crucial points away from home is Leverkusen's strength on the counter-attack. Whilst Stuttgart are also extremely dangerous going forward, they will be without their captain. Today’s matchday news.
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Another showdown in the race for the Champions League places takes place in Swabia: on Saturday 9 May (kick-off 15:30 CEST), the Werkself visit VfB Stuttgart, who are only behind on goal difference. In his pre-match press conference, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about confidence, excitement and mentality.
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Reinforcement in attack: Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured the transfer of striker Maja Sternad from Bundesliga rivals SV Werder Bremen. The 22-year-old has signed a contract until 30 June 2028.
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It's a thrilling situation: as the season draws to a close, Stuttgart and Bayer 04 are heading into the home stretch almost neck and neck. After 32 games, with 17 wins, seven draws and eight defeats each, both teams are on 58 points. Even in terms of goals scored, VfB and the Werkself are level on 66. The Black and Reds have conceded just three fewer goals (43) than their rivals (46), which is why they sit one place behind fourth-placed Leverkusen. This Saturday, 9 May (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), the two teams go head to head at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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