Standings, fixtures, results and everything you need to know about the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football, played by 18 clubs from August to May.
Fixtures and results
Upcoming fixtures
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Energie Cottbus
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Greuther Furth
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Hannover 96
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1 FC Kaiserslautern
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Arminia Bielefeld
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SV Darmstadt 98
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VFL Wolfsburg
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FC St. Pauli
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Karlsruher SCvs1. FC Magdeburgvs1. FC HeidenheimvsHertha BSCvsVfL 1899 OsnabruckvsDynamo DresdenvsEintracht BraunschweigvsGreuther FurthvsHolstein KielvsVfL BochumvsSV Darmstadt 98vs1 FC NurembergvsFC St. PaulivsKarlsruher SCvs1 FC KaiserslauternvsHannover 96vsArminia BielefeldvsVFL WolfsburgvsEnergie CottbusvsVfL 1899 OsnabruckvsDynamo DresdenvsHolstein KielvsVfL BochumvsGreuther FurthvsEintracht BraunschweigvsHertha BSCvs1. FC Heidenheimvs1. FC Magdeburgvs1. FC HeidenheimvsVFL WolfsburgvsKarlsruher SCvs1 FC NurembergRecent results
1 - 0Holstein Kiel2 - 1Dynamo Dresden1 - 31 FC Nuremberg2 - 11. FC Heidenheim0 - 3Hertha BSC1 - 11. FC Magdeburg2 - 0VfL 1899 Osnabruck1 - 2VfL Bochum3 - 1Eintracht Braunschweig3 - 0Greuther Furth2 - 0Hannover 963 - 0Dynamo Dresden0 - 11 FC Kaiserslautern6 - 1Karlsruher SC1 - 0Arminia Bielefeld1 - 1Energie Cottbus1 - 1VFL Wolfsburg0 - 0FC St. Pauli2 - 1VfL 1899 Osnabruck2 - 01. FC Magdeburg4 - 0SV Darmstadt 981 - 1FC St. Pauli2 - 0VfL Bochum3 - 11. FC Heidenheim2 - 0Eintracht Braunschweig0 - 0Hertha BSC1 - 11 FC Nuremberg0 - 1Arminia Bielefeld2 - 1Greuther Furth2 - 0Karlsruher SC4 - 4VFL Wolfsburg1 - 1Dynamo Dresden3 - 0Hannover 963 - 1Energie Cottbus1 - 0Holstein Kiel0 - 01 FC Kaiserslautern2 - 21. FC Heidenheim2 - 1VfL Bochum1 - 1FC St. Pauli1 - 2Hertha BSC2. Bundesliga standings
Computed from full-time results, 2026/27 season. Updated Wed 4 Nov, 08:31 UTC| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hertha BSC | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | +15 | 28 |
| 2 | 1 FC Nuremberg | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | +11 | 21 |
| 3 | VFL Wolfsburg | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | +9 | 19 |
| 4 | 1 FC Kaiserslautern | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | +2 | 18 |
| 5 | 1. FC Magdeburg | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | +8 | 17 |
| 6 | 1. FC Heidenheim | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 15 |
| 7 | Arminia Bielefeld | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | +1 | 14 |
| 8 | FC St. Pauli | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 9 | Greuther Furth | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -2 | 12 |
| 10 | VfL 1899 Osnabruck | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 11 |
| 11 | VfL Bochum | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 11 |
| 12 | Karlsruher SC | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -6 | 11 |
| 13 | Eintracht Braunschweig | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -2 | 10 |
| 14 | Energie Cottbus | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -3 | 10 |
| 15 | SV Darmstadt 98 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -9 | 10 |
| 16 | Hannover 96 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -7 | 9 |
| 17 | Holstein Kiel | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | -2 | 8 |
| 18 | Dynamo Dresden | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -8 | 8 |
What is the 2. Bundesliga?
The 2. Bundesliga is the second tier of German football, contested by 18 clubs each season from August to May. Every club plays 34 matches, home and away, and the top two are promoted to the Bundesliga.
The league began in August 1974, after the German football association (DFB) decided in 1973 to replace the five Regionalligas at that level. It ran as two regional divisions, North and South, until it became a single division in 1981, and it has had 18 clubs since 1994/95.
Schalke 04 won the title in 2025/26, following 1. FC Köln in 2024/25, FC St. Pauli in 2023/24 and 1. FC Heidenheim in 2022/23. Köln hold the record with five titles.
For 2026/27, VfL Osnabrück and Energie Cottbus have come up from the 3. Liga, while Fortuna Düsseldorf and Preußen Münster have dropped down to it.
How the 2. Bundesliga works
Season structure
18 clubs play each other home and away, 34 matches each and 306 in total. The 2026/27 season began on 7 August 2026 and finishes on 23 May 2027.
Promotion
The top two clubs are promoted automatically to the Bundesliga. The third-placed club plays a two-legged play-off against the Bundesliga’s 16th-placed team for a further place.
Relegation
The bottom two clubs are relegated directly to the 3. Liga. The club in 16th place plays a two-legged play-off against the 3. Liga’s third-placed team to decide a further place.
Tiebreakers
Clubs level on points are separated by goal difference, then goals scored.
History and records
Past champions
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 | Schalke 04 |
| 2024/25 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2023/24 | FC St. Pauli |
| 2022/23 | 1. FC Heidenheim |
| 2021/22 | Schalke 04 |
| 2020/21 | VfL Bochum |
| 2019/20 | Arminia Bielefeld |
| 2018/19 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2017/18 | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
| 2016/17 | VfB Stuttgart |
The story so far
The 2. Bundesliga was created in the wake of the 1971 Bundesliga scandal, when the DFB voted in 1973 to replace the five Regionalligas with a new second tier. It opened in 1974 as two regional divisions. On 7 June 1980 the DFB voted 84 to 77 to move to a single division, which began in 1981, and the league was split in two again for one season in 1991/92 following German reunification.
Play-offs returned in 2008/09, and the league has become a regular springboard to the top flight. Heidenheim won the title in 2022/23 and reached the Bundesliga for the first time, and St. Pauli went up as 2023/24 champions.
2. Bundesliga clubs, 2026/27
18 clubsArminia BielefeldSchüco ArenaVfL BochumVonovia RuhrstadionEintracht BraunschweigEintracht-StadionEnergie CottbusStadion der FreundschaftPromotedSV Darmstadt 98Merck-Stadion am BöllenfalltorDynamo DresdenRudolf-Harbig-StadionGreuther FürthSportpark Ronhof Thomas SommerHannover 96Heinz von Heiden ArenaHertha BSCOlympiastadion1. FC HeidenheimVoith-ArenaKarlsruher SCBBBank WildparkHolstein KielHolstein-Stadion1. FC KaiserslauternFritz-Walter-Stadion1. FC MagdeburgMDCC-Arena1. FC NürnbergMax-Morlock-StadionVfL OsnabrückStadion an der Bremer BrückePromotedFC St. PauliMillerntor-StadionVfL WolfsburgVolkswagen Arena2. Bundesliga FAQs
How many teams are in the 2. Bundesliga?
There are 18 teams in the 2. Bundesliga, a number the league has had since 1994/95. The 2026/27 line-up includes VfL Osnabrück and Energie Cottbus, promoted from the 3. Liga, who replaced Fortuna Düsseldorf and Preußen Münster.
How many games does each team play?
Each club plays 34 matches, 17 at home and 17 away, meeting every other club twice. That makes 306 matches per season. A win earns 3 points, a draw 1 point and a defeat none.
How does promotion to the Bundesliga work?
The top two clubs in the final standings are promoted automatically. The third-placed club plays a two-legged play-off against the Bundesliga’s 16th-placed team, and the winner takes a place in the Bundesliga.
How does relegation work?
The bottom two clubs are relegated directly to the 3. Liga. The club in 16th place plays a two-legged play-off against the 3. Liga’s third-placed team to decide a further place.
When does the 2. Bundesliga season start and end?
The season runs from August to May. The 2026/27 season began on 7 August 2026 and finishes on 23 May 2027.
Who has won the most 2. Bundesliga titles?
1. FC Köln have won the most, with five titles, the latest in 2024/25. Schalke 04 are the reigning champions after winning the 2025/26 title.
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Fixtures, results and the standings are pulled from our live match data feed, provided by Sportradar, and refreshed periodically. The standings are calculated from full-time results and may not reflect official adjustments (points deductions, etc). Team crests are hosted on this site; kickoff times follow the timezone selected above the fixtures (your browser’s timezone by default, UTC if JavaScript is off).