The Bundesliga (German Football League)

What Is the Bundesliga?

The Bundesliga is Germany’s premier football league, one of Europe’s elite “Big Five,” standing shoulder to shoulder with the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1.

Here are some key Bundesliga stats and facts to get you started.

Why Bundesliga Is Unique (50+1 Ownership Rule)

Readers may know that football clubs in many countries are private enterprises, which are owned by an individual or consortium that owns 51% (or more) of the available shares.

But the German Bundesliga has its own unique ownership model, known as 50+1.

In this structure, the members of a football club – i.e. its fans – are given 50% of the voting rights plus one more… hence the name.

It effectively means that all Bundesliga clubs are owned by their supporters, who have the majority say on key decisions that need to be made. This is enshrined in rules created by the German football association, too – a team cannot play in the Bundesliga without agreeing to this system.

There are many football fans around the world who believe that the 50+1 rule should be introduced in their country as well.

Strong Youth Development System

One of the hallmarks of German football is the emphasis on youth development, which creates a pathway for the next generation of stars to progress into first team action.

Bundesliga clubs must have a robust academy system – this is also a rule they agree to in order to be accepted into the league.

The academy creates a philosophy and identity for all of their players, from children through to those representing the first team.

Through intense training and a competitive youth league system, Bundesliga clubs are able to prepare their young players for life as a professional footballer – whether at the parent club or after being sold to a rival.

High Average Stadium Attendance

Using average attendance figures across multiple seasons, it can be noted that the German Bundesliga has the largest crowds of any football league on the planet.

This is facilitated by sizable stadiums, with many Bundesliga clubs benefitting from a home ground that allows for 40,000 or more spectators, as well as ticket prices that are, typically, cheaper than other top European leagues.

German football is known for its vibrant atmospheres, with tifos – choreographed visual displays organised by fans – and coordinated chanting just some of the key features of matchday. 

Some Bundesliga stadia feature safe standing zones, which anecdotally are said to enhance the atmosphere and volume at a game. These safe standing areas are outlawed in some other major leagues around the globe.

How the Bundesliga Works

In many ways, the German Bundesliga is similar to the other top leagues in European football.

However, there are some key differences in the format that should be noted.

League Format

The first point of difference is that the Bundesliga has 18 teams in it; rather than the 20-club format of the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga.

So each team plays 34 Bundesliga games, made up of a home and away fixture against their 17 divisional rivals.

A win boosts the team’s points tally by three, while a draw earns one point – there’s zero on offer for a defeat.

When all of the Bundesliga fixtures have been played, the team with the most points is crowned as the champion… while those with the fewest points have to battle the dreaded relegation.

Promotion & Relegation

The German Bundesliga is not a closed league.

Each season, two teams – those with the lowest points tallies – are relegated to Bundesliga 2, which is the second tier of German football.

They are replaced by the two top performing teams from Bundesliga 2, while there’s also the matter of the promotion-relegation play-off.

The club that finishes 16th in the Bundesliga, which is the third berth in the relegation zone, must contest a home-and-away play-off against the team that finishes third in the Bundesliga 2 standings.

So at least two, but often three, teams are switched from the Bundesliga to 2 Bundesliga each season.

European Qualification

The teams that finish first, second, third and fourth in the Bundesliga table all qualify for the following season’s edition of the Champions League.

Meanwhile, the club that finishes fifth in the Bundesliga standings qualifies for the Europa League, while the sixth-placed team earns a spot in the Europa Conference League.

However, this situation is fluid due to UEFA’s club coefficient rankings. If the German Bundesliga representatives have a strong season in continental football, they will rank highly in the coefficient.

When that happens, an extra position in the Champions League can become available to the team that finishes fifth in the German Bundesliga standings.

In this scenario, the sixth-placed team is ‘promoted’ to the Europa League, while the seventh-placed club then gets a call-up to the Europa Conference League.

Not only that, the DFB Cup – the German domestic cup competition – also plays a part. The team that wins the DFB Cub qualifies for the Europa League, unless they have qualified for the Champions League by another means.

In that case, the Europa League place is then passed onto the highest finisher in the Bundesliga that hasn’t already qualified for the competition.

Bundesliga Teams: Historic & Major Clubs

In the modern era, Bayern Munich have become the pre-eminent German Bundesliga team thanks to a period of title-winning dominance.

But there are other Bundesliga teams that have enjoyed plenty of success over the years, too.

Bayern Munich

Nobody has won more Bundesliga titles than Bayern Munich, who are also Germany’s most successful team in continental competitions as well.

In reality, Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga since the 1970s. Yes, other clubs have won the title since, but the Munich outfit’s haul of more than 30 championships – with the vast majority of those coming since the 1971/72 season – confirms their modern era supremacy.

They have also won more than a dozen continental/international trophies as well, including the Champions League, Europa League (back when it was known as the UEFA Cup) and FIFA Club World Cup.

Although there’s many football clubs based in Munich, Bayern are by far and away the most iconic. Their Allianz Arena home stadium is also regarded as one of the most architecturally unique venues in world football.

Borussia Dortmund

For a long time, Borussia Dortmund have been one of the main rivals to Bayern Munich in the battle for Germany Bundesliga supremacy.

Dortmund have enjoyed little pockets of success over the years, winning Bundesliga titles in five decades – only Bayern has won more, in fact. Their best times came in the mid-1990s and early 2010s, when they twice won the championship in back-to-back seasons.

Westfalenstadion, Dortmund’s home ground, is the largest club stadium in Germany, with a capacity of more than 81,000. It has a famous standing terrace in its South Stand known as the Yellow Wall, where some of the most passionate – and loud – supporters of the club assemble on matchdays. 

Dortmund is located in the north west region of North Rhine-Westphalia, with Schalke 04 amongst their fiercest local rivals.

RB Leipzig

Many of the top Bundesliga teams have a long and prestigious history.

But RB Leipzig is somewhat different. Their success has been wholly exclusive to the modern era, since they were purchased by the Red Bull drinks company in 2009.

At that point, SSV Markranstädt – who were playing in the fifth tier of German football – became RB Leipzig, with significant investment made into the playing squad, coaching staff and club infrastructure.

By 2016, the club had climbed up the German football ladder to the point that they were playing in Bundesliga for the first time.

They have since grown to compete with Bayern and Dortmund at the summit of the Bundesliga standings, as well as winning the DFB Cup in consecutive seasons in 2022 and 2023.

Located in the city of Leipzig in the state of Saxony, the team plays their home games at the Red Bull Arena.

Bayer Leverkusen

The 2023/24 season was a remarkable one for Bayer Leverkusen: it was the first time, in 120 years of trying, that they had won the German Bundesliga title.

They had finished runner-up on four occasions between 1996/97 and 2001/02, so their fans were understandably delighted to finally watch their heroes lift the trophy.

A former winner of the DFB Cup and UEFA Cup, Bayer Leverkusen have enjoyed relative success both in Germany and on the continent.

They play their home matches at the BayArena, a unique bowl-shaped structure located in the city of Leverkusen.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

Although success has proven elusive for Borussia Mönchengladbach in recent times, they were – in the 1970s – the most dominant force in German football.

Die Fohlen, as they are known, won five Bundesliga titles in that particular decade, while also winning two editions of the UEFA Cup and finishing runner-up in the European Cup – the forerunner to the Champions League – in 1977.

It has been slim pickings since, aside from a DFB Cup triumph in 1995, but Mönchengladbach remain one of the best-supported teams in Germany at their Borussia-Park home stadium.

VfL Wolfsburg

Established in 1945, VfL Wolfsburg effectively started life as a football team for the workers of the local Volkswagen plant in the city of Wolfsburg.

That car manufacturer is still indelibly linked to the club to this day, with the ownership group being a subsidiary of the automotive firm. They also play their home games at the Volkswagen Arena.

Wolfsburg have won and also finished runner-up in both the German Bundesliga and the DFB Cup, with their first league title finally arriving in 2009. 

They also have long held a reputation for developing young talents into superstars; whether that’s youngsters that have come through their academy system or been signed from other clubs at an early age.

Bundesliga Standings

Every club in the Bundesliga has something to play for: the title, European qualification or to avoid relegation.

Prize money is also paid out based on final league position, so there’s plenty of incentives for all Bundesliga clubs to give it their all.

Title Race

There can only be one German Bundesliga champion each season.

That’s the team that accumulates more points than all others; often, there will be at least two clubs that are close on points as the campaign reaches its business end. 

So the Bundesliga title race is all about quality and consistency, while navigating the peaks and troughs of a long season that runs from August until May.

European Qualification Spots

At least six teams will qualify for European football from the Bundesliga each season.

As touched upon, that number can actually increase. But for the best performing clubs, a top six finish – top four, specifically, for those targeting the Champions League – is the ambition.

By qualifying for continental competition, a club can compete with the best teams from across Europe, while opening up another revenue stream as well.

Relegation & Play-Off Zone

For teams at the bottom end of the Bundesliga table, relegation is a constant fear.

The two teams with the lowest points tally are relegated to Bundesliga 2. Meanwhile, the club that finishes third in the 2 Bundesliga standings gets a shot at promotion via a two-leg play-off against the team that finishes 16th in the Bundesliga.

Being relegated is a catastrophe both from a competitive and financial standpoint, so avoiding the relegation zone is a priority for some of the Bundesliga’s ‘weaker’ clubs.

Goal Difference Rules

The German Bundesliga table is determined by each team’s points tally.

However, when two or more teams have the same number of points, other factors have to be used to calculate who finishes in which position.

When points are level, goal difference – calculated by subtracting goals conceded from goals scored – is used as the differential between two or more teams.

If points tallies and goal difference are the same, then goals scored is used as the determining factor.

Bundesliga Fixtures & Results

The German Bundesliga is home to some fascinating rivalries and derby games.

Indeed, these are often the first matches that punters, coaches, fans, and football sportsbook operators look for when the Bundesliga schedule is revealed each summer.

Der Klassiker (Bayern Munich vs Dortmund)

Some of the fiercest battles in football are not local derbies but instead competitive rivalries that go back years and years.

For Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Der Klassiker – the German language name given to games between them – is often the definitive fixture of the season.

These two clubs have been, historically, the most successful in the Bundesliga, so it’s only natural that they wish to dent the pride of the other.

As well as capturing the imagination of fans in Germany, Der Klassiker is a fixture watched by millions of football lovers around the world – it can often be the game that decides the outcome of the title race.

Revierderby (Dortmund vs Schalke)

Of course, some of the most storied rivalries are those built on local pride.

The Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia is home to a number of professional football teams, with Dortmund and Schalke amongst the most prestigious.

When these two meet on the pitch, the game is given the moniker ‘Revierderby’ to honour the Revier area – that’s another name for the Ruhr region.

One of the most eagerly anticipated games in the German Bundesliga schedule, the rivalry between Dortmund and Schalke is built on their industrial background but also competition on the pitch, with Schalke once being amongst the most prominent teams in German football.

Today, the Revierderby remains one of the most intense and passionate matches in Germany.

Bundesliga Stats & Leaders

From the highest Bundesliga scores to the most decorated players and teams, here’s a look at some of the key Bundesliga stats and facts.

• Most titles – Bayern Munich have won more Bundesliga titles than any other team… and they are unlikely to be caught any time soon.
• Most points in a season – The highest points tally accumulated in a season is 91, which was earned by Bayern during the 2012/13 campaign.
• Most goals in a season – Bayern also hold the record for being the Bundesliga top scorers, having notched 101 goals during the 1971/72 season.
• Longest unbeaten run – By avoiding defeat in 53 consecutive Bundesliga games during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 season, Bayern put together the longest unbeaten run in the competition’s history.
• All-time leading goalscorer – With 365 Bundesliga goals, the legendary Gerd Muller is the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

Bundesliga Champions & History

The German football championship was founded all the way back in 1903, with the Bundesliga formed in 1963.

So there’s been ample time for dozens of different clubs to get their hands on the trophy.

Dominant Eras

Of course, some teams have been more dominant in the German top-flight than others.

Bayern Munich won the title every single season between 2012/13 and 2022/23, which was their most sustained period of dominance – although they have won more 30 titles in all.

There have been times when Borussia Dortmund have been the strongest team. In the mid-1990s, they won two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in a glorious period for the club.

Modern Challengers

Who can halt the dominance of Bayern and Dortmund?

Bayer Leverkusen did exactly that in 2023/24 by winning the Bundesliga title, while a series of high finishes in the table suggest that RB Leipzig could one day get their hands on the trophy too. 

Others, like VfB Stuttgart and Frankfurt, continue to progress as well. 

Bundesliga Records & Fun Facts

Here’s some more fun facts and records from the German Bundesliga.

• Highest-scoring match – There have been five occasions in which 12 goals have been scored in a Bundesliga match. One of the most shocking was Bayern’s 11-1 demolition of Dortmund in 1971/72.
• Biggest win – The biggest Bundesliga win also falls into the 12-goal category. Borussia Mönchengladbach thrashed Dortmund 12-0 in the 1977/78 season.
• Fastest goal – Nine seconds… that’s all it took for Karim Bellarabi to score for Bayer Leverkusen against Borussia Dortmund on the opening day of the 2014/15 season, while a year later Kevin Volland did the same for Hoffenheim against Bayern Munich.
• Youngest debutant – The youngest player to appear in the Bundesliga was Youssoufa Moukoko, who featured for Dortmund against Hertha Berlin during the 2020/21 season a day after his sixteenth birthday.
• Highest attendance record – Some 88,075 people crammed into the Olympiastadion in Berlin to watch Hertha take on FC Koln in September 1969.

What Is 2. Bundesliga?

The 2. Bundesliga is the second tier of German football, residing one level below the Bundesliga itself.

Teams can be relegated from the Bundesliga into the 2. Bundesliga, from which promoted clubs take their place. 

The same promotion and relegation system is used to switch teams between 2. Bundesliga and the 3. Liga. 

How to Watch the Bundesliga

German Bundesliga officials have handpicked the various broadcasters around the world that have the right to show their games on live television. 

Broadcasters by Region

As well as being ultra popular in Germany, the Bundesliga is watched by football fans across Europe, North America and beyond.

That is made possible by international rights deals, with different broadcasters offering live games and highlights packages in individual countries. 

Although the policy is different in each region, typically the media rights cycle last for four years, at which point broadcasters are able to bid for the Bundesliga contract once more.

Streaming Services

Increasingly, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and DAZN are acquiring the rights to live football matches.

Each individual country has its own broadcast and streaming deals, with fans often required to pay for a subscription to watch on their chosen device.

It’s likely that the Bundesliga will run with a hybrid model of traditional TV broadcasts and live streaming for the foreseeable future. 

Typical Matchdays (Friday–Sunday)

For broadcasting reasons, the Bundesliga schedule has been extended beyond the traditional Saturday and Sunday fixture list.

The weekend remains the focal point of the German Bundesliga schedule, but increasingly games are also being played on Friday and Monday evenings.

Occasionally, when the fixture list becomes squeezed or where games are postponed, additional midweek matches will be played on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays.

Bundesliga FAQs