The DFB-Pokal, commonly called the German Cup, is Germany’s top knockout competition behind the Bundesliga. First staged in 1935 as the Tschammerpokal, the tournament was suspended in 1944 and reintroduced in 1953. Sixty-four teams take part each season and the final has been played at Berlin’s Olympiastadion since 1985, according to ESPN.
Bayern Munich is the competition’s most successful club, claiming a record 21 titles — including the 2026 edition — according to ESPN. The club’s haul spans multiple decades, with victories recorded across the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and into the 2020s.
Recent final winners illustrate the Cup’s competitive balance. From 2016 through 2026 the champions were: Bayern Munich (2026), VfB Stuttgart (2025), Bayer Leverkusen (2024), RB Leipzig (2023 and 2022), Borussia Dortmund (2021), Bayern Munich (2020 and 2019), Eintracht Frankfurt (2018), Borussia Dortmund (2017) and Bayern Munich (2016), per the year-by-year list.
The tournament’s roll call includes clubs from across German football history and stretches back to prewar winners. Early champions include 1. FC Nürnberg (1935, 1939), VfB Leipzig (1936) and Schalke 04 (1937). The list also records titles for clubs such as Rapid Vienna and First Vienna FC during the wartime years, and Dresdner SC among the 1940–41 winners.
A complete, year-by-year list of DFB-Pokal winners is maintained in the records cited here. For ongoing coverage, results and further details, consult the ESPN soccer hub referenced in the source material.
