Carlotta Wamser and Germany have the best starting position of the Leverkusen senior national team trio in the race for an early ticket to the World Cup in Brazil (24 June to 25 July 2027). Germany, currently top of Group A4 with ten points from four games, can seal qualification as early as Friday 5 June against Norway in Cologne. The clash against Slovenia on Tuesday 9 June in Bratislava would then probably be a dead rubber. Wamser's team-mates Rafaela Borggräfe and Estrella Merino Gonzalez have been called up by Germany coach Christian Wück.
In the same group, Austria with the Leverkusen centre-back Claudia Wenger only have one point so far. Even if the situation is the same after the two games against Slovenia and Norway under new coach Lars Söndergaard, the 25-year-old will still be hoping to reach the World Cup finals. The play-offs will take place in mid-October, with all non-group winners from the four qualifying A Leagues taking part. Forward Valentina Mädl is on call for the training programme.
Cornelia Kramer and Denmark have a good chance of avoiding the play-offs. The Scandinavians have picked up eight points so far as leaders of Group A1 and face Sweden at home and Serbia away in the last two games.
Six Bayer 04 Women have two home internationals with the Germany U23 team. After finishing the round of international matches in fifth place, coach Michael Urbansky's team will now play two friendlies against Denmark in Leipzig on Thursday, 4 June and in Halle on Monday, 8 June. The Werkself once again have the largest group of players in the 24-strong squad, with Borggräfe and Merino Gonzalez joined by Julia Mickenhagen, Loreen Bender, Selina Ostermeier and Sofie Zdebel.
The call-ups:
Cornelia Kramer (Denmark)
Friday, 5 June: Denmark vs. Sweden (World Cup qualifier)
Tuesday, 9 June: Serbia vs. Denmark (World Cup qualifier)
Carlotta Wamser (Germany)
Friday, 5 June: Germany vs. Norway (World Cup qualifier)
Tuesday, 9 June: Slovenia vs. Germany (World Cup qualifier)
Claudia Wenger (Austria)
Friday, 5 June: Austria vs. Slovenia (World Cup qualifier)
Tuesday, 9 June: Norway vs. Austria (World Cup qualifier)
Rafaela Borggräfe, Estrella Merino Gonzalez, Julia Mickenhagen, Loreen Bender, Selina Ostermeier and Sofie Zdebel (Germany U23)
Thursday, 4 June: Germany vs. Denmark (international fixture)
Monday, 8 June: Germany vs. Denmark (international fixture)
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with U19 midfielder Jonah Berghoff ahead of schedule. The Germany U18 international has signed professional terms with the club to 30 June 2030.
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Two months of preparation, five friendlies and the return of a familiar training camp location: After finishing fifth in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga last season, the Werkself will return to training on Tuesday, 23 June. Bayer04.de outlines the key dates in the 2026 summer timetable.
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With sixth place at the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Bayer 04 ended a season in the top third of the table for the ninth time in a row. While the Werkself were narrowly eliminated in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 by eventual finalists Arsenal, the Black and Reds reached the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third season in succession. As in previous years, you once again have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is exclusively for Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app up to and including 11 June.
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