DFB-Pokal Round of 16 Draw Sets Up Frankfurt Against Dortmund

The draw for the Round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal took place on Sunday evening at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, setting up several high-profile matchups. The event, broadcast live on the Sportschau program in Germany, was conducted by Markus Gaugisch, head coach of the German women's national handball team, alongside DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth and presenter Lea Wagner.

The standout fixture of the round features a rematch of the 2017 DFB-Pokal final as Eintracht Frankfurt welcomes Borussia Dortmund to their home stadium. Title holder FC Bayern Munich was also drawn at home, where they will face Hertha BSC, currently the frontrunner in the 2. Bundesliga. Meanwhile, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and RB Leipzig will meet in the DFB-Pokal for the very first time, giving fans only the second all-Bundesliga matchup of this stage alongside the Frankfurt-Dortmund clash.

Because no amateur clubs remain in the competition, standard rules dictated that the first team drawn from the single pot received home-court advantage. Ten clubs from the Bundesliga and six from the 2. Bundesliga make up the final 16 teams. Among the other pairings, VfB Stuttgart will host Dynamo Dresden, Borussia Mönchengladbach will play SV Darmstadt 98, 1. FC Kaiserslautern will face SC Freiburg, Holstein Kiel will go up against 1. FC Köln, and VfL Bochum will host FC Augsburg.

Several lower-tier and visiting clubs advanced through dramatic wins in the second round earlier in the week. FC Bayern secured their spot by defeating 1. FC Magdeburg 6:1, while Bayer Leverkusen overcame a 2-0 deficit against 1. FC Nürnberg to win 5:2. Holstein Kiel eliminated TSG Hoffenheim in a penalty shootout, and 1. FC Kaiserslautern advanced past Hannover 96. Hertha BSC punched their ticket with a 2:0 victory over SSV Jeddeloh II.

Reactions from the clubs highlighted the high stakes of the upcoming matches. Speaking about their home fixture against FC Augsburg, VfL Bochum co-trainer Marc-André Kruska expressed optimism, stating, "We are definitely very satisfied. With our fans behind us, we can achieve a lot." For FC Augsburg, the match serves as an opportunity for revenge after being knocked out by Bochum in the second round of the previous season.

The upcoming Round of 16 matches are scheduled to be played on Tuesday, December 1, and Wednesday, December 2, 2026. The German Football Association (DFB) will announce the exact kickoff times and television broadcast schedules in the coming days. Following the Round of 16, the tournament will continue with the quarterfinals in February, the semifinals in April, and the final hosted at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on May 29, 2027.