The Bundesliga's 2026/27 calendar has been pushed back by a week because the FIFA World Cup 2026 finishes on 19 July. The season now starts on Friday 28 August, with the DFB Cup first round running from 21-24 August. Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund will meet in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on 22 August, just before the league opener.
The key dates in the calendar
The league start is the headline change. Bundesliga clubs will return in July to begin preparing for the new campaign, but the competitive calendar is compressed by the later finish to the World Cup. That leaves a short run into the league opener on 28 August and a tight lead-in to the cup weekend.
The DFB Cup first round has been fixed for 21-24 August, which means the first competitive matches for many clubs arrive before the league season begins. Bayern München's cup fixtures as reigning cup winners have been moved to 1/2 September.
Bayern and Dortmund before the league starts
The Supercup gives the schedule an early heavyweight fixture. Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund meet on 22 August, and it comes with both clubs carrying the status they earned last season. Bayern finished first in the Bundesliga with 89 points and a +86 goal difference, while Dortmund were second on 73 points.
There is not much ambiguity about why the calendar looks this way. The World Cup ending on 19 July is the reason the domestic season has been moved back, and the result is a busy August that starts with cup football, includes the Supercup, and then rolls into the league opener a week later.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →