Finals Day of the Amateurs 2026: 21 Cup Finals, One Saturday, the Dream of the DFB-Pokal
On Saturday, 23 May 2026, German football belongs for once not to the professionals but to the clubs from the regional leagues, fifth-tier Oberligas and sixth-tier Verbandsligas. 21 state cup finals will be played, 21 teams will earn their way into the first main round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/2027. At a glance: Date: Saturday, 23 May 2026 Finals: 21 state cup finals across four kick-off times Kick-off times: 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 and 16:30 (CEST) Reward: A spot in the first main round of the DFB-Po
On Saturday, 23 May 2026, German football belongs for once not to the professionals but to the clubs from the regional leagues, fifth-tier Oberligas and sixth-tier Verbandsligas. 21 state cup finals will be played, 21 teams will earn their way into the first main round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/2027.
At a glance: Date: Saturday, 23 May 2026 Finals: 21 state cup finals across four kick-off times Kick-off times: 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 and 16:30 (CEST) Reward: A spot in the first main round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/2027
The Finals Day of the Amateurs is the highlight for every fan beyond the Bundesliga. Worlds collide, sixth-tier sides charge at third-division clubs, stories unfold that no algorithm could ever predict. Whoever wins on 23 May takes home not just a trophy but guaranteed home advantage and a sizeable TV-money payout in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
The big stories
Three finals stand out because they pit clubs from very different levels against each other. In Baden, fifth-tier VfR Mannheim host their city neighbours SV Waldhof Mannheim, who play two divisions higher in the third tier. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, sixth-tier SV Pastow have reached the final for the second year in a row and now face F.C. Hansa Rostock from the 3. Liga. And on the Lower Rhine, third-division MSV Duisburg have to prove themselves at fifth-tier SC St. Tönis.
Derbies, derbies, derbies
Anyone who loves local rivalries gets their fill on 23 May. Cologne delivers what is probably the most heated derby of the day: Fortuna Köln against Viktoria Köln, fourth tier against third tier, Höhenberg against Südstadt. In Saxony, archrivals FSV Zwickau and FC Erzgebirge Aue meet, in the Saarland it is 1. FC Saarbrücken against FC 08 Homburg, and in Württemberg the SV Stuttgarter Kickers face SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. In Berlin, VSG Altglienicke and BFC Dynamo square off, both from the Regionalliga Nordost.
Lower Saxony has its own rule
Lower Saxony runs its cup differently from every other state, because it actually holds two competitions: one for amateur clubs, one for professional sides. Each year, one of the two finals becomes part of the Finals Day of the Amateurs. In 2026 it is the amateur competition's turn, so Lüneburger SK Hansa and TuS Bersenbrück face off. The professional final between SSV Jeddeloh II and SV Drochtersen/Assel follows a day later, on 24 May 2026 in Barsinghausen.
What happens in extra time?
A detail that matters before kick-off: in the matches that start at 16:30, there is no extra time if the score is level after 90 minutes. The teams head straight into a penalty shoot-out.
What it is really about: The DFB-Pokal 2026/2027
The first main round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/2027 starts on 21 August 2026. 64 teams take part: 18 from the Bundesliga, 18 from the 2. Bundesliga, four from the 3. Liga and 21 state cup winners. Whoever wins their state cup on 23 May 2026 has a realistic chance in August of drawing a Bundesliga side onto their home pitch. Home tie, sold-out stadium, the big stage.
All fixtures at a glance
16:30 (4 matches)
Bavaria: Würzburger Kickers (Regionalliga Bayern) vs TSV 1860 München (3. Liga)
Westphalia: SC Verl (3. Liga) vs Sportfreunde Lotte (Regionalliga West)
Hesse: SV Wehen Wiesbaden (3. Liga) vs SG Barockstadt Fulda-Lehnerz (Regionalliga Südwest)
Saarland: 1. FC Saarbrücken (3. Liga) vs FC 08 Homburg (Regionalliga Südwest)
15:30 (4 matches)
Middle Rhine: Fortuna Köln (Regionalliga West) vs Viktoria Köln (3. Liga)
Lower Rhine: MSV Duisburg (3. Liga) vs SC St. Tönis (Oberliga Niederrhein)
Saxony: FSV Zwickau (Regionalliga Nordost) vs FC Erzgebirge Aue (3. Liga)
Württemberg: SV Stuttgarter Kickers (Regionalliga Südwest) vs SG Sonnenhof Großaspach (Regionalliga Südwest)
13:30 (6 matches)
Rhineland: TuS Koblenz (Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar) vs SV Eintracht Trier (Regionalliga Südwest)
Saxony-Anhalt: VfB Germania Halberstadt (NOFV-Oberliga Süd) vs Hallescher FC (Regionalliga Nordost)
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: SV Pastow (Verbandsliga) vs F.C. Hansa Rostock (3. Liga)
Lower Saxony: Lüneburger SK Hansa (Oberliga Niedersachsen) vs TuS Bersenbrück (Oberliga Niedersachsen)
South Baden: Bahlinger SC (Regionalliga Südwest) vs FC 08 Villingen (Oberliga Baden-Württemberg)
Southwest: TSV Schott Mainz (Regionalliga Südwest) vs FK Pirmasens (Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar)
11:30 (7 matches)
Brandenburg: FC Energie Cottbus (3. Liga) vs VfB Krieschow (NOFV-Oberliga Süd)
Baden: VfR Mannheim (Oberliga Baden-Württemberg) vs SV Waldhof Mannheim (3. Liga)
Berlin: VSG Altglienicke (Regionalliga Nordost) vs BFC Dynamo (Regionalliga Nordost)
Bremen: Leher TS (Bremen-Liga) vs SV Hemelingen (Bremen-Liga)
Hamburg: SC Vorwärts Wacker 04 (Oberliga Hamburg) vs Hamburg Eimsbütteler Ballspiel Club (Oberliga Hamburg)
Schleswig-Holstein: SV Todesfelde (Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein) vs 1. FC Phönix Lübeck (Regionalliga Nord)
Thuringia: FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Regionalliga Nordost) vs ZFC Meuselwitz (Regionalliga Nordost)
Watch out for the relegation playoffs
One unknown remains. Should one of the third-division finalists end up in third place in the 3. Liga, they will have to play the relegation playoff against the 16th-placed team in the 2. Bundesliga. The first leg is on 22 May 2026, one day before the Finals Day of the Amateurs. If that happens, the affected cup final will be postponed. Right now, FC Energie Cottbus, MSV Duisburg, SC Verl and F.C. Hansa Rostock could be involved.
As of 4 May 2026. Sources: announcements by the German state football associations, sportschau.de, fussball.de, kicker.de.