DFB-Pokal: Dates, format, prize money, previous winners & more

Liam Williams Updated: 10 Dec 24 13:23

Founded in 1935, the DFB-Pokal is Germany's national cup competition and actually predates the Bundesliga by 28 years.

Initially known as the Tschammerpokal, the competition was re-instated as the DFB-Pokal in 1952, existing in its current guise ever since.

Here is everything you need to know about German football's second most prestigious trophy.

DFB-Pokal

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DFB-Pokal 2024/25 dates

First round: 16th-19th & 27-28 August 2024
Second round: 29-30 October 2024
Round of 16: 3-4 December 2024
Quarter-finals: 4-5 & 25-26 February 2025
Semi-finals: 1-2 April 2025
Final: 24 May 2025

DFB-Pokal 2024/25 format

In total, 64 teams enter the DFB-Pokal. These are made up of the 18 teams from the Bundesliga, 18 teams from the 2. Bundesliga and the top four clubs from the previous season of the 3. Liga.

The rest of the numbers are made up by the 24 representatives of the regional associations of the DFB, most of whom qualify through the previous season's Verbandspokal.

All 64 teams enter the DFB-Pokal in the first round, but are split into two pots. The 18 Bundesliga clubs and the top 14 clubs from the previous season's 2. Bundesliga are in one pot, and draw one team from the other pot.

All ties take place over one leg.

DFB-Pokal 2024/25 prize money

According to the DFB website, a total of €74.2 million will be awarded in the 2024/25 DFB-Pokal, with the winners pocketing €11 million over the course of the competition.

For reaching the first round, clubs will be awarded 209,453, with the prize money roughly doubling for each round of the competition.

Stage	Prize money
First round	€209,453
Second round	€418,906
Round of 16	€837,813
Quarter-finals	€1,675,625
Semi-finals	€3,351,250
Runner-up	€2,880,000
Winner	€4,320,000

DFB-Pokal list of winners

In total, 26 teams have won the DFB-Pokal, with Bayern Munich leading the way with 20. Werder Bremen are next with six, with Schakle 04, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt next on five each.

Season	Winners	Score	Runners-up
1935	1. FC Nürnberg	2–0	Schalke 04
1936	VfB Leipzig	2–1	Schalke 04
1937	Schalke 04	2–1	Fortuna Düsseldorf
1938	Rapid Wien	3–1	FSV Frankfurt
1939	1. FC Nürnberg	2–0	Waldhof Mannheim
1940	Dresdner SC	2–1 (a.e.t.)	1. FC Nürnberg
1941	Dresdner SC	2–1	Schalke 04
1942	1860 Munich	2–0	Schalke 04
1943	First Vienna	3–2 (a.e.t.)	LSV Hamburg
Reformed as the DFB-Pokal
1952–53	Rot-Weiss Essen	2–1	Alemannia Aachen
1953–54	VfB Stuttgart	1–0 (a.e.t.)	1. FC Köln
1954–55	Karlsruher SC	3–2	Schalke 04
1955–56	Karlsruher SC	3–1	Hamburger SV
1956–57	Bayern Munich	1–0	Fortuna Düsseldorf
1957–58	VfB Stuttgart	4–3 (a.e.t.)	Fortuna Düsseldorf
1958–59	Schwarz-Weiß Essen (II)	5–2	Borussia Neunkirchen
1959–60	Borussia München Gladbach	3–2	Karlsruher SC
1960–61	Werder Bremen	2–0	1. FC Kaiserslautern
1961–62	1. FC Nürnberg	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Fortuna Düsseldorf
1962–63	Hamburger SV	3–0	Borussia Dortmund
1963–64	1860 Munich	2–0	Eintracht Frankfurt
1964–65	Borussia Dortmund	2–0	Alemannia Aachen (II)
1965–66	Bayern Munich	4–2	Meidericher SV
1966–67	Bayern Munich	4–0	Hamburger SV
1967–68	1. FC Köln	4–1	VfL Bochum (II)
1968–69	Bayern Munich	2–1	Schalke 04
1969–70	Kickers Offenbach (II)	2–1	1. FC Köln
1970–71	Bayern Munich	2–1 (a.e.t.)	1. FC Köln
1971–72	Schalke 04	5–0	1. FC Kaiserslautern
1972–73	Borussia Mönchengladbach	2–1 (a.e.t.)	1. FC Köln
1973–74	Eintracht Frankfurt	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Hamburger SV
1974–75	Eintracht Frankfurt	1–0	MSV Duisburg
1975–76	Hamburger SV	2–0	1. FC Kaiserslautern
1976–77	1. FC Köln	1–1 (a.e.t.); 1-0*	Hertha BSC
1977–78	1. FC Köln	2–0	Fortuna Düsseldorf
1978–79	Fortuna Düsseldorf	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Hertha BSC
1979–80	Fortuna Düsseldorf	2–1	1. FC Köln
1980–81	Eintracht Frankfurt	3–1	1. FC Kaiserslautern
1981–82	Bayern Munich	4–2	1. FC Nürnberg
1982–83	1. FC Köln	1–0	Fortuna Köln (II)
1983–84	Bayern Munich	1–1 (a.e.t.)**	Borussia Mönchengladbach
1984–85	Bayer Uerdingen	2–1	Bayern Munich
1985–86	Bayern Munich	5–2	VfB Stuttgart
1986–87	Hamburger SV	3–1	Stuttgarter Kickers (II)
1987–88	Eintracht Frankfurt	1–0	VfL Bochum
1988–89	Borussia Dortmund	4–1	Werder Bremen
1989–90	1. FC Kaiserslautern	3–2	Werder Bremen
1990–91	Werder Bremen	1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	1. FC Köln
1991–92	Hannover 96 (II)	0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Borussia Mönchengladbach
1992–93	Bayer Leverkusen	1–0	Hertha BSC Amateure (III)
1993–94	Werder Bremen	3–1	Rot-Weiss Essen (II)
1994–95	Borussia Mönchengladbach	3–0	VfL Wolfsburg (II)
1995–96	1. FC Kaiserslautern	1–0	Karlsruher SC
1996–97	VfB Stuttgart	2–0	Energie Cottbus (III)
1997–98	Bayern Munich	2–1	MSV Duisburg
1998–99	Werder Bremen	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p)	Bayern Munich
1999–2000	Bayern Munich	3–0	Werder Bremen
2000–01	Schalke 04	2–0	Union Berlin (III)
2001–02	Schalke 04	4–2	Bayer Leverkusen
2002–03	Bayern Munich	3–1	1. FC Kaiserslautern
2003–04	Werder Bremen	3–2	Alemannia Aachen (II)
2004–05	Bayern Munich	2–1	Schalke 04
2005–06	Bayern Munich	1–0	Eintracht Frankfurt
2006–07	1. FC Nürnberg	3–2 (a.e.t.)	VfB Stuttgart
2007–08	Bayern Munich	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Borussia Dortmund
2008–09	Werder Bremen	1–0	Bayer Leverkusen
2009–10	Bayern Munich	4–0	Werder Bremen
2010–11	Schalke 04	5–0	MSV Duisburg (II)
2011–12	Borussia Dortmund	5–2	Bayern Munich
2012–13	Bayern Munich	3–2	VfB Stuttgart
2013–14	Bayern Munich	2–0 (a.e.t.)	Borussia Dortmund
2014–15	VfL Wolfsburg	3–1	Borussia Dortmund
2015–16	Bayern Munich	0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Borussia Dortmund
2016–17	Borussia Dortmund	2–1	Eintracht Frankfurt
2017–18	Eintracht Frankfurt	3–1	Bayern Munich
2018–19	Bayern Munich	3–0	RB Leipzig
2019–20	Bayern Munich	4–2	Bayer Leverkusen
2020–21	Borussia Dortmund	4–1	RB Leipzig
2021–22	RB Leipzig	1–1 (a.e.t.) (4-2 p)	SC Freiburg
2022–23	RB Leipzig	2–0	Eintracht Frankfurt
2023–24	Bayer Leverkusen	1–0	1. FC Kaiserslautern