DFB-Pokal draw: Which teams could Borussia Dortmund face? | OneFootball

Before the draw for the DFB-Pokal Round of 16, tension is rising at BVB. On Sunday, it will be decided which opponent Borussia Dortmund will face – perhaps even in their own stadium.

Borussia Dortmund secured their place in the DFB-Pokal Round of 16 after a 5:3 victory after a penalty shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt – reaching the last 16 for the first time in two years. Now, all eyes are on the draw, which will determine the next opponent for the Black and Yellows.

The draw will take place on Sunday, November 2, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. ZDF will broadcast live from 5:50 PM, during the halftime of the handball international match between Germany and Iceland. Lili Engels will host, while sailor Felix van den Hövel will draw the pairings as the lottery fairy.

Unlike the first two rounds, there is only one pot this time. Since there are no lower-league teams left, all remaining first and second division teams can face each other – the team drawn first will have home advantage. Therefore, BVB also has the chance for a home game at Signal Iduna Park.

In addition to Borussia Dortmund, the following teams are in the Round of 16: FC Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg, Union Berlin, VfL Bochum, FC St. Pauli, Hamburger SV, Hertha BSC, Holstein Kiel, 1. FC Magdeburg, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and SV Darmstadt 98.

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Excitement is guaranteed: Another meeting with FC Bayern would be a real cup thriller, as would a possible "small Ruhr derby" against VfL Bochum.

New this round is the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). It was not used in the first two rounds, which led to some controversial decisions. Now, the technology is intended to ensure more fairness.

The success is also financially rewarding: The DFB has slightly increased the prizes. Those who reach the Round of 16 already receive around 1.5 million euros. The cup winner can look forward to a total of nearly eleven million euros in prizes, including 4.32 million euros for winning the final alone.

The Round of 16 matches will be played on December 2 and 3, 2025 – then it will be revealed whether BVB can continue their cup journey and keep the dream of the title alive.

The DFB-Pokal dates at a glance:

Round of 16: December 2/3, 2025

Quarterfinals: February 3/4 and 10/11, 2026

Semifinals: April 21/22, 2026

Final: May 23, 2026

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.