On Sunday evening, March 2, 2025, the highly anticipated draw for the DFB-Pokal semifinals will take place. This thrilling event, celebrated for its excitement and unpredictability, will be held at the Football Museum located in Dortmund. Notably, it will be broadcast live starting at 18:45, allowing football fans to tune in and witness how the semifinal matchups will shape up.
The draw will feature four teams: the reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, VfB Stuttgart, and the underdog Arminia Bielefeld from the 3. Liga, who shocked many by defeating Werder Bremen to secure their place. This will mark the fifth consecutive time RB Leipzig has reached the semifinals, and they are determined to make it to the final once again.
Gerald Asamoah, the former Schalke player and national icon, will serve as the draw master and will be joined by moderator Stephanie Müller-Spirra from MDR. The ceremony is expected to create excitement not just for the teams involved but also for the spectators, as they await to see who will face off in the semi-finals.
The semifinals will be played on April 1 and 2, 2025, giving the teams about a month to prepare for these decisive matches. Arminia Bielefeld, having secured their semifinal berth as the biggest surprise, will definitely enjoy home advantage, succeeding as the third-tier club has already knocked out several formidable Bundesliga opponents, including Union Berlin and SC Freiburg.
With the draw taking place during the election night of the Hamburg elections, this year's event is out of the ordinary compared to previous years when draws typically happened during the ARD's "Sportschau" or ZDF's "Sportstudio" programs. This unusual timing exemplifies how the DFB is blending major national events with the excitement of football.
The financial incentives for the teams involved are also considerable. Each semifinalist is guaranteed around 3.35 million euros, which can significantly benefit Arminia Bielefeld, whose annual budget is approximately 7 million euros. The cup winner stands to make 4.3 million euros, with the runner-up receiving nearly 2.9 million euros. Revenues from ticket sales and advertising are shared at 45 percent between the competing clubs, making the stakes high not just for prestige but also for financial gain.
Winning the DFB-Pokal not only brings monetary rewards but also includes qualification for the Europa League, adding another layer of motivation for these teams. For RB Leipzig, such success could secure them another route to European football, should they not qualify through the Bundesliga.
Given the mix of Bundesliga powerhouses and the surprise entry of Arminia Bielefeld, this year's semifinals promise to be gripping. The DFB-Pokal's history is replete with upsets, and Bielefeld's performance has drawn parallels to historic runs by lower league clubs. Fans will surely be on the edge of their seats during the draw, anticipating the matchups and the stories they may tell.
Whether Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Leipzig, or Bielefeld emerges victorious remains to be seen, but the allure of the DFB-Pokal is unmistakable. The mix of passion, competition, and the quest for glory will make for thrilling matches on the road to the final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on May 24, 2025.
Catch the DFB-Pokal semifinals' draw live on ARD and experience the excitement of the cup's next chapter as it unveils the paths leading to one of football's coveted trophies.