The fight for a place in the Bundesliga is on. With established heavyweights, fallen giants and upwardly mobile clubs all in the mix, the 2026/27 promotion race has all the ingredients to be one of the season’s most compelling stories. Here are the teams to watch.
Wolfsburg
After 29 years in Germany’s top flight, Wolfsburg were relegated in May. Now, the Wolves are in search of an immediate return. “We know we’re regarded as favourites, but first we have to get down to work,” expressed Dieter Hecking upon being appointed managing director of sport in June, having been the first-team head coach at the end of last season.
If Hecking says it, who are we to argue? Not that it’ll all be plain sailing for new coach Tobias Strobl, though. Hecking confirmed a number of changes were in store at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, following the departures of Konstantinos Koulierakis, Lovro Majer, Patrick Wimmer and Jonas Wind.
They have been offset by the arrivals of Hauke Wahl, Fabian Reese, Robert Glatzel and Elvis Rexhbecaj though, adding much-needed experience, plus youth with the addition of Muhammed Damar – and, in the case of Glatzel, proven goalscoring know-how in Bundesliga 2.
Unbeaten in pre-season, Strobl is relishing the prospect of coaching the Wolves in Bundesliga 2. “We now feel ready for the start of the season,” he said after their 3-1 win against Telstar.
Hannover
Excluding the newly relegated teams, Hannover look best placed to earn promotion in 2026/27, having come agonisingly close to doing so last season by finishing just two points behind second-placed Elversberg.
Led in attack by Benjamin Källman, who struck 14 Bundesliga 2 goals in 2025/26, Hannover have been busy in the transfer market this summer to try and make that happen, recruiting goalkeeper Pascal Loretz from Luzern, Jean Hugonet from Magdeburg and Taycan Etçibaşı from Borussia Dortmund II. They will, though, be without captain Enzo Leopold, who switched to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Under head coach Christian Titz, now entering his second full season at the club, the 96ers will be hoping to end their seven-year absence from the Bundesliga.
St. Pauli
The last time St. Pauli were in Bundesliga 2, current Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler led them to a remarkable promotion. The man tasked with repeating that feat is newly-appointed Marcel Rapp, who has previously taken Holstein Kiel to the promised land.
The loss of captain Jackson Irvine, alongside midfielder Daniel Sinani and goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj will certainly be felt, but crucially Rapp has retained the likes Sweden international Eric Smith and Bundesliga 2 goal-machine Martijn Kaars, who struck 19 times for Magdeburg in 2024/25, and grabbed two goals in three games at the start of last season before joining Pauli.
St. Pauli will be without Jackson Irvine (c.), with the Australian midfielder having joined Japanese J-League outfit Cerezo Osaka. – DFL/Getty Images/Oliver Hardt
Heidenheim
The final newly-relegated side in focus is Heidenheim, who very nearly completed an extraordinary great escape on the final day of the 2026/27 season. Under Frank Schmidt, they won three of their last five games and drew with Bayern Munich.
Schmidt, meanwhile, is embarking on his 19th season as Heidenheim boss and 10th in the second tier. “No one needs to be fearful,” said the 52-year-old after their relegation was confirmed. “We’ve shown before that we’re capable of analysing things quickly and resetting. The way our fans have responded gives us strength and confidence.”
While avoiding big-name signings, Heidenheim have added Paul Hennrich from Hoffenheim II and Ingolstadt’s Marcel Costly – who struck 18 goals and provided 10 assists in 3. Liga last season – to the squad while retaining the services of proven Bundesliga 2 goal-getter Budu Zivzivadze.
Watch: Budu Zivzivadze nets twice against Bayern
Bayern Munich 3-3 Heidenheim
Hertha Berlin
A traditional giant of German football, Hertha’s hopes were not exactly boosted with the departures of wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn, Tjark Ernst and Reese over the summer.
Nevertheless, a decent finish to last season, which saw the club stabilise in seventh, should renew hopes of a return to the Bundesliga. Schalke have shown the way – can Hertha follow suit?
Stefan Leitl is the man tasked with coaching Hertha Berlin back into Germany’s top flight. – Thomas F. Starke
Kaiserslautern
The Red Devils’ sixth-place finish was a marginal improvement on the previous season, and they will be keen to go even better this time around.
Head coach Torsten Lieberknecht has done a solid job at Kaiserslautern since joining in April 2025, and with their 49,000-capacity Fritz-Walter-Stadion regularly sold out, they have a significant home advantage to capitalise on.
Kaiserslautern finished sixth in Bundesliga 2 last season, 10 points off the automatic promotion spots. – Alex Grimm
Darmstadt
The Lillies may have lost Isac Lidberg and Fraser Hornby over the summer but they nevertheless remain a strong top-three candidate.
That is in part down to the continuity at the club, where head coach Florian Kohfeldt has held the reins since September 2024. The 43-year-old’s side ended up ten points off the promotion pace last term, but on their day, Darmstadt can be a match for anyone
“We’ve developed a real sense of togetherness,” Kohfeldt said in July 2026 following his team’s 7-2 friendly win against Sonnenhof Großaspach. “I have a very positive impression of the atmosphere within the squad. That’s not something you can simply manufacture.”