Super Cup live scores, fixtures and statistics

Super Cup is Germany’s premier men’s super cup, officially known as the DFL-Supercup and contested between the leading winners of the country’s domestic season. It is organised by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) as a single-match curtain-raiser to the professional football calendar, bringing together the reigning Bundesliga champions and the holders of the DFB-Pokal.

What is the German Super Cup?

The competition occupies a distinctive place in the German football ecosystem. It is not a league campaign or a multi-round knockout tournament, but a one-off meeting between the winners of Germany’s two principal senior men’s competitions. Its purpose is to determine the domestic “champion of champions” and to provide the first official test of the new season for two clubs that achieved major honours in the previous campaign.

The fixture is also widely referred to as the German Super Cup. From the 2025–26 season, it is presented under the commemorative name Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, honouring one of the most influential figures in German football. The competition remains governed by the DFL and retains its established sporting concept.

Origins and development

The modern competition was reinstated by the DFL in 2010. It followed earlier German super-cup traditions, including an official competition established by the German Football Association in 1987 and staged until 1996. The format was subsequently replaced by the Ligapokal, or League Cup, before the DFL restored the Super Cup as a more direct and streamlined contest between the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal winners.

This modern history explains why the competition is associated with both continuity and renewal. Earlier versions formed part of Germany’s changing domestic calendar, while the post-2010 edition established the annual standalone fixture now recognised as the opening trophy contest of the professional season. Xtra-Stats records seasons from 2011 through 2025, with 15 recorded seasons in its competition coverage.

Qualification and access

Qualification is based on the previous season’s domestic results. The Bundesliga champions qualify as league winners, while the DFB-Pokal winners take the second place as cup holders. If one club completes the domestic double by winning both competitions, the Bundesliga runners-up enter instead, ensuring that the Super Cup still features two clubs.

The match therefore has no conventional qualifying rounds, group stage or second leg. There is no route into the competition through league position alone unless the Bundesliga runners-up inherit the place created by a double-winning club. The DFL determines the applicable regulations, scheduling and match arrangements for each edition.

Format and match rules

The German Super Cup is a single-match knockout final. The two teams play 90 minutes, divided into two standard 45-minute halves, with the winner lifting the trophy. If the score is level after normal time, there is no extra time: the match proceeds directly to a penalty shoot-out. This arrangement gives the fixture a clear conclusion while limiting the additional workload placed on players at the beginning of a demanding season.

Teams generally operate under the applicable DFL match regulations, including provision for up to five substitutions. Squad, disciplinary and competition procedures are governed by the regulations in force for the relevant edition. Unlike a league or cup campaign, the Super Cup offers no progression to a subsequent round: the result is decided on the day.

The venue is not permanently fixed. In the usual arrangement, the DFB-Pokal winners, or the Bundesliga runners-up when the league and cup are won by the same club, host the match. The DFL retains authority over the final venue and can confirm the location as part of the arrangements for each season.

When is it played?

The match is typically staged in August, shortly before the Bundesliga season begins. Its position in the calendar makes it the first official trophy opportunity of the German professional season and gives both clubs a competitive introduction to their new campaign. It also allows the fixture to function as a high-profile international broadcast event featuring two of the country’s most successful teams.

Trophy and sporting significance

Although the Super Cup consists of only one match, its significance extends beyond a ceremonial opening fixture. The winner adds an official domestic title to its honours list, gains early-season momentum and claims an immediate psychological advantage over another leading German club. For the losing side, the match can expose areas requiring improvement before the Bundesliga campaign and other competitions become fully established.

The trophy itself reflects the competition’s dual identity: its design draws on the Bundesliga’s Meisterschale and the DFB-Pokal, representing the two achievements that qualify clubs for the contest. Winning the Super Cup does not provide direct qualification for European or world competitions, but it remains a prestigious national honour and a visible marker of success at the start of the season.

For statistical purposes, Super Cup records should be read alongside the competition’s evolving history, including its pre-2010 traditions, modern DFL administration and the commemorative Franz Beckenbauer branding introduced for the 2025–26 season.