2025–26 3. Liga
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 August 2025 – 16 May 2026 |
| Champions | VfL Osnabrück |
| Promoted | VfL Osnabrück Energie Cottbus |
| Relegated | 1860 Munich Erzgebirge Aue SSV Ulm 1. FC Schweinfurt |
| Matches | 380 |
| Goals | 1,219 (3.21 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Lars Gindorf (28 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Cottbus 5–0 Stuttgart Mannheim 6–1 Essen Verl 5–0 Ulm Wiesbaden 6–1 Duisburg Stuttgart 6–1 Essen Aachen 6–1 Havelse |
| Biggest away win | Ulm 0–5 Rostock Havelse 0–5 Munich |
| Highest scoring | Havelse 2–6 Ingolstadt Ulm 3–5 Osnabrück Aue 3–5 Hoffenheim Cottbus 5–3 Essen Rostock 5–3 Stuttgart Ingolstadt 3–5 Aue |
| Longest winning run | 7 games Osnabrück Essen |
| Longest unbeaten run | 12 games Osnabrück |
| Longest winless run | 16 games Aue |
| Longest losing run | 8 games Aue |
| Highest attendance | 30,343 Duisburg v Köln |
| Lowest attendance | 300 Stuttgart FC II v Wiesbaden Stuttgart FC II v Havelse |
| Attendance | 3,982,783 (10,481 per match) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
The 2025–26 3. Liga was the 18th season of the 3. Liga. It started on 1 August 2025 and concluded on 16 May 2026.[1]
The fixtures were announced on 3 July 2025.[2]
After the season was over, on 3 June 2026, 1860 Munich failed to obtain a license for the upcoming season and were relegated.[3]
Teams

Locations of the 2025–26 3. Liga teams
Team changes
Stadiums and locations
1 TSV Havelse will play their home matches at the Eilenriedestadion since their home stadium, the Wilhelm-Langrehr-Stadion in Garbsen, did not meet 3. Liga standards. They will move to the Heinz von Heiden Arena for high-risk matches.[4]
2 VfB Stuttgart II will play their home matches at the WIRmachenDRUCK Arena since their home stadium, the Robert-Schlienz-Stadion in Stuttgart, did not meet 3. Liga standards.[5]
Personnel and kits
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing | Manner | Exit date | Position in table | Incoming | Incoming date | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced on | Departed on | Announced on | Arrived on | ||||||
| SC Verl | End of contract | 2 April 2025 | 30 June 2025 | Pre-season | 20 May 2025 | 1 July 2025 | [6][7] | ||
| Viktoria Köln | Signed by SV Sandhausen | 7 May 2025 | 29 May 2025 | [8][9] | |||||
| Jahn Regensburg | End of tenure as caretaker | 8 May 2025 | 23 May 2025 | [10][11] | |||||
| VfL Osnabrück | Sacked | 30 May 2025 | 17 June 2025 | [12][13] | |||||
| TSG Hoffenheim II | Signed by SV Elversberg | 5 June 2025 | 9 June 2025 | [14][15] | |||||
| VfB Stuttgart II | Signed by 1. FC Magdeburg | 15 June 2025 | 15 June 2025 | [16] | |||||
| Alemannia Aachen | Signed by Eintracht Braunschweig | 17 June 2025 | 25 June 2025 | [17][18] | |||||
| Waldhof Mannheim | Sacked | 11 August 2025 | 14th | 12 August 2025 | [19][20] | ||||
| SSV Ulm | 18 September 2025 | 15th | 18 September 2025 | [21][22] | |||||
| 1860 Munich | 28 September 2025 | 10th | 28 September 2025 | [23][24] | |||||
| End of tenure as caretaker | 9 October 2025 | 13th | 9 October 2025 | [25] | |||||
| Alemannia Aachen | Sacked | 20 October 2025 | 18th | 20 October 2025 | [26] | ||||
| Wehen Wiesbaden | 25 October 2025 | 11th | 25 October 2025 | [27] | |||||
| Alemannia Aachen | End of tenure as caretaker | 6 November 2025 | 6 November 2025 | [28] | |||||
| Wehen Wiesbaden | 10 November 2025 | 13th | 10 November 2025 | [29] | |||||
| SSV Ulm | Sacked | 10 November 2025 | 18th | 16 November 2025 | [30][31] | ||||
| 1. FC Saarbrücken | Mutual consent | 25 November 2025 | 13th | 25 November 2025 | [32] | ||||
| Erzgebirge Aue | Sacked | 31 January 2026 | 17th | 3 February 2026 | [33][34] | ||||
| 1. FC Saarbrücken | 11 February 2026 | 16th | 11 February 2026 | [35] | |||||
| 1. FC Schweinfurt | 18 February 2026 | 20th | 18 February 2026 | [36][37] | |||||
| Jahn Regensburg | Mutual consent | 9 March 2026 | 14th | 9 March 2026 | [38] | ||||
| End of tenure as caretaker | 31 March 2026 | 12th | 31 March 2026 | [39] | |||||
| Erzgebirge Aue | Sacked | 5 April 2026 | 18th | 5 April 2026 | [40] | ||||
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VfL Osnabrück (C, P) | 38 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 66 | 34 | +32 | 80 | Promotion to 2. Bundesliga and qualification for DFB-Pokal |
| 2 | Energie Cottbus (P) | 38 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 72 | 51 | +21 | 72 | |
| 3 | Rot-Weiss Essen | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 78 | 66 | +12 | 70 | Qualification for promotion play-offs and DFB-Pokal |
| 4 | MSV Duisburg | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 66 | 49 | +17 | 68 | Qualification for DFB-Pokal |
| 5 | Hansa Rostock | 38 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 74 | 49 | +25 | 67 | |
| 6 | SC Verl | 38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 82 | 48 | +34 | 64 | |
| 7 | Alemannia Aachen | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 76 | 57 | +19 | 64 | |
| 8 | 1860 Munich[a] (R) | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 54 | 53 | +1 | 56 | Relegation to Regionalliga |
| 9 | Wehen Wiesbaden | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 54 | 52 | +2 | 53 | |
| 10 | Waldhof Mannheim | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 59 | 72 | −13 | 52 | |
| 11 | Viktoria Köln | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 51 | |
| 12 | FC Ingolstadt | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 49 | |
| 13 | Jahn Regensburg | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 54 | 58 | −4 | 49 | |
| 14 | VfB Stuttgart II[b] | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 57 | 69 | −12 | 46 | |
| 15 | 1. FC Saarbrücken | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 51 | 57 | −6 | 44 | |
| 16 | TSG Hoffenheim II[b] | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 65 | 71 | −6 | 43 | |
| 17 | TSV Havelse[a] | 38 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 57 | 89 | −32 | 35 | Spared from relegation |
| 18 | Erzgebirge Aue (R) | 38 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 51 | 70 | −19 | 34 | Relegation to Regionalliga |
| 19 | SSV Ulm (R) | 38 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 49 | 78 | −29 | 33 | |
| 20 | 1. FC Schweinfurt (R) | 38 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 38 | 87 | −49 | 21 |
Source: DFB
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored; 6) Away goals scored; 7) Play-off.[43]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored; 6) Away goals scored; 7) Play-off.[43]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- 1 2 1860 Munich originally finished the season in eighth place, but were administratively relegated to the Regionalliga Bayern after failing to obtain a license for the upcoming 3. Liga season, sparing TSV Havelse from relegation.[41][42]
- 1 2 Reserve teams are ineligible for promotion or DFB-Pokal qualification.
Results
Statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[44] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alemannia Aachen | 28 | |
| 2 | Energie Cottbus | 22 | |
| 3 | Alemannia Aachen | 21 | |
| 4 | FC Ingolstadt | 18 | |
| 5 | Energie Cottbus | 17 | |
| Viktoria Köln/MSV Duisburg | |||
| SC Verl | |||
| 8 | 1860 Munich | 16 | |
| Waldhof Mannheim | |||
| 10 | Hansa Rostock | 15 | |
| TSG Hoffenheim II |
Hat-tricks
| Player | Club | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alemannia Aachen | Rot-Weiss Essen | 3–2 (A) | 31 August 2025 | |
| Alemannia Aachen | Schweinfurt 05 | 5–1 (A) | 27 September 2025 | |
| Waldhof Mannheim | Rot-Weiss Essen | 6–1 (H) | ||
| Rot-Weiss Essen | TSV Havelse | 4–1 (H) | 24 January 2026 | |
| Wehen Wiesbaden | MSV Duisburg | 6–1 (H) | 14 February 2026 | |
| Waldhof Mannheim | TSV Havelse | 3–1 (H) | 8 March 2026 | |
| Hansa Rostock | MSV Duisburg | 5–1 (H) | 14 March 2026 | |
| Alemannia Aachen | Wehen Wiesbaden | 3–0 (H) | 5 April 2026 | |
| Energie Cottbus | 1860 Munich | 3–0 (H) | 7 April 2026 | |
| Energie Cottbus | Rot-Weiss Essen | 5–3 (H) | 19 April 2026 | |
| Jahn Regensburg | Hansa Rostock | 5–2 (A) | 25 April 2026 | |
| VfB Stuttgart II | Rot-Weiss Essen | 6–1 (H) | 2 May 2026 | |
| Erzgebirge Aue | FC Ingolstadt | 5–3 (A) | 3 May 2026 | |
| FC Ingolstadt | Waldhof Mannheim | 5–1 (H) | 16 May 2026 | |
| Alemannia Aachen | TSV Havelse | 6–1 (H) |
- 4 Players scored four goals.
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets[45] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VfL Osnabrück | 19 | |
| 2 | Hansa Rostock | 12 | |
| 3 | MSV Duisburg | 11 | |
| 4 | 1860 Munich | 9 | |
| Energie Cottbus | |||
| SC Verl | |||
| 7 | Jahn Regensburg | 8 | |
| 8 | 1. FC Saarbrücken | 7 | |
| Viktoria Köln | |||
| 10 | FC Ingolstadt | 6 | |
| Wehen Wiesbaden |
References
- ↑ "DFB veröffentlicht Rahmenterminkalender für die Saison 2025/26". kicker.de (in German). kicker. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ↑ "Spielplan 2025/2026 veröffentlicht: RWE und 1860 eröffnen Saison". dfb.de (in German). 3 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ↑ "1860-Ticker: Löwen stürzen erneut ab - Hauptsponsor steigt aus". br.de (in German). 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Bei Aufstieg in die 3. Liga: Havelse würde erneut nach Hannover ausweichen". Kicker (in German). 21 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Heimspielstätten stehen fest" (in German). VfB Stuttgart. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ↑ "Ende verlässt den Sportclub im Sommer!" (in German). SC Verl. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Tobias Strobl wird neuer Sportclub-Trainer!" (in German). SC Verl. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Olaf Janßen ab Sommer Sandhausen-Coach" (in German). Viktoria Köln. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Trainerteam steht – "Passen perfekt zur DNA"" (in German). Viktoria Köln. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "SSV Jahn und Andreas Patz gehen ab sofort getrennte Wege" (in German). Jahn Regensburg. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ↑ "Michael Wimmer wird neuer Chef-Trainer beim SSV Jahn" (in German). Jahn Regensburg. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "VfL trennt sich von Antwerpen und Döpper" (in German). VfL Osnabrück. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ↑ "Timo Schultz ist neuer Trainer des VfL Osnabrück" (in German). VfL Osnabrück. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ↑ "Vincent Wagner wechselt als Cheftrainer zur SV Elversberg" (in German). TSG Hoffenheim. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ↑ ""Wir gehen konsequent den TSG-Weg": Kleineheismann coacht U23, weitere Trainer rücken auf" (in German). TSG Hoffenheim. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ↑ "Markus Fiedler verlässt den VfB" (in German). VfB Stuttgart. 15 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ↑ "Heiner Backhaus verlässt Alemannia Aachen" (in German). Alemannia Aachen. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ↑ "Benedetto Muzzicato ist neuer Cheftrainer der Alemannia" (in German). Alemannia Aachen. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ↑ "SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 stellt Cheftrainer Dominik Glawogger frei" (in German). SV Waldhof Mannheim. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ "Luc Holtz ist neuer Cheftrainer des SV Waldhof Mannheim 07" (in German). SV Waldhof Mannheim. 12 August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ "Der SSV trennt sich von Robert Lechleiter" (in German). SSV Ulm. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ↑ "Moritz Glasbrenner wird Cheftrainer" (in German). SSV Ulm. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ↑ "Löwen trennen sich von Werner und Glöckner". www.tsv1860.de (in German). Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ "Alper Kayabunar wird Interimstrainer der Profis". tsv1860.de (in German). Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ "Markus Kauczinski wird neuer Cheftrainer". tsv1860.de (in German). Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ "Alemannia Aachen trennt sich von Cheftrainer Benedetto Muzzicato" (in German). Alemannia Aachen. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ↑ "SVWW stellt Cheftrainer Nils Döring frei" (in German). Wehen Wiesbaden. 25 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
- ↑ "Mersad Selimbegović wird neuer Cheftrainer von Alemannia Aachen" (in German). Alemannia Aachen. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ↑ "Daniel Scherning ist neuer SVWW-Cheftrainer" (in German). Wehen Wiesbaden. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ↑ "Der SSV Ulm 1846 Fussball trennt sich von Markus Thiele und Moritz Glasbrenner" (in German). SSV Ulm. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ↑ "Pavel Dotchev wird neuer Cheftrainer" (in German). SSV Ulm. 16 November 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ↑ "FCS und Alois Schwartz gehen getrennte Wege" (in German). 1. FC Saarbrücken. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ↑ "FCE trennt sich von Jens Härtel" (in German). Erzgebirge Aue. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ↑ "Christoph Dabrowski neuer Trainer" (in German). Erzgebirge Aue. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ "FCS stellt sportliche Führung neu auf" (in German). 1. FC Saarbrücken. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ↑ "1. FC Schweinfurt 1905 stellt Cheftrainer Victor Kleinhenz und Co-Trainer Gregor Opfermann frei" (in German). 1. FC Schweinfurt. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ↑ "1. FC Schweinfurt 1905 verpflichtet Jermaine Jones als Cheftrainer" (in German). 1. FC Schweinfurt. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ↑ "Chef-Trainer Michael Wimmer verlässt den SSV Jahn auf eigenen Wunsch" (in German). Jahn Regensburg. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ↑ "Sascha Hildmann ist neuer Chef-Trainer des SSV Jahn". ssv-jahn.de (in German). Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Wechsel in sportlicher Verantwortung" (in German). Erzgebirge Aue. 5 April 2026. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- ↑ "DFB-Frist verstrichen: 1860 München muss in die Regionalliga zwangsabsteigen". kicker.de (in German). 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ ""Alle Unterlagen fristgerecht eingereicht": Havelse will den freien Platz in der 3. Liga einnehmen". kicker.de (in German). 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Spielordnung" [Match rules] (PDF). dfb.de (in German). German Football Association (DFB). p. 71. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ "3. Liga – Torjäger 2025–26" [3. Liga – Goalscorers 2025–26]. Kicker (in German).
- ↑ "3. Liga – Torhüter 2025–26" [3. Liga – Goalkeepers 2025–26]. Kicker (in German).