Women's Bundesliga: More teams, more fans – also progress?

The German Football Association (DFB) has expanded the Women's Bundesliga from twelve to 14 teams for the 2025/26 season. The goal is to increase visibility through more games – both in the stadium and on television.

With newcomers like Union Berlin, 1. FC Nürnberg and Hamburger SV, which have been established in men's football for many years, there are also traditional clubs with large fan bases.

How visible is the league really?

The opening match between FC Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen will take place in the Allianz Arena – in front of over 50,000 spectators.

Even before the start of the season, advance ticket sales made it clear that the league would set a new attendance record. The previous record was 38,365 spectators who watched the match between 1. FC Köln and Eintracht Frankfurt in April 2023.

The Bundesliga is also more visible on television than ever before: German public television, the cable channel Sport1 , and the streaming portals DAZN and MagentaSport are broadcasting regularly. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how often highlight matches like the opening match will be shown in large stadiums.

What are the DFB’s plans for the future?

Shortly before the start of the season, the DFB announced a joint venture with a new league association. The "Women's Bundesliga Company" will be responsible for operations and marketing in the future.

Specifically, the goal is to increase organizational efficiency and create new marketing and financing options. The company aims to transform the league into an independent, financially viable system. This also includes increasing media visibility, attracting new sponsors, and better targeting a younger, female audience.

An investment volume of around 100 million euros over eight years is planned. The DFB (German Football Association) Bundestag is expected to decide on details such as a minimum salary for players and youth development in November.

Will the league remain exciting from a sporting perspective?

Bayern Munich enters the season as the clear favorite. The squad is strong, and new coach José Barcala made his first impression with a 4-2 Supercup victory against Wolfsburg.

VfL Wolfsburg, on the other hand, continues to undergo a period of transition, having seen numerous arrivals and departures this summer. The more exciting question, therefore, is who will be vying for the European spots – Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, and TSG Hoffenheim are considered promising candidates.

What about the league’s stars?

Many well-known players have left Germany – including Bayern Munich pro Sydney Lohmann (Manchester City) and Wolfsburg players Jule Brand (Lyon) and Kathrin Hendrich (Chicago). The Bundesliga is losing important players.

At the same time, there are interesting new additions: Vanessa Gilles, the 2021 Canadian Olympic champion, now plays for Bayern Munich, Amanda Ilestedt, a Swedish international, plays for Frankfurt. There are also returnees like Lena Petermann, who is moving from England to Werder Bremen, and Pauline Bremer, a newcomer to Cologne, who also played on the island until the summer.

What role does the 2029 European Championship play?

After the failed bid for the 2027 World Cup, the DFB is now putting all its efforts into the 2029 European Championship . Germany plans to host the tournament in eight cities and sell at least one million tickets.

The decision will be made in December. A bid could give the league a huge boost – similar to the 2022 European Championship in England.