2. Bundesliga 2025/26: Schalke Back in the Bundesliga After Championship Display
FC Schalke 04 won the 2. Bundesliga with 70 points — returning to the top flight after several seasons away. SV Elversberg (62 pts) were promoted automatically in second, while SC Paderborn (62 pts, same points but inferior goal difference) contested the promotion/relegation play-off.
Final Standings (Top 6 + Relegated)
| Pos | Club | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Schalke 04 🏆 ⇧ UP | 70 | |||
| 2 | SV Elversberg ⇧ UP | 62 | |||
| 3 | SC Paderborn 07 PO | 62 | |||
| 4 | Hannover 96 | 60 | |||
| 5 | SV Darmstadt 98 | 52 | |||
| 6 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 52 | |||
| 16 | Eintracht Braunschweig ↓ | 37 | |||
| 17 | Fortuna Düsseldorf ↓ | 37 | |||
| 18 | Preußen Münster ↓ | 30 | |||
The Promotion Race
Schalke's 70-point title was built on their outstanding defensive record — conceding just 31 goals in 34 games. The Gelsenkirchen club's passionate supporters drove them forward throughout the season and will celebrate a long-awaited Bundesliga return.
SV Elversberg continued their remarkable rise up German football. Only recently promoted from the lower divisions, they secured automatic promotion with an impressive 64 goals scored. Paderborn faced the play-off against the Bundesliga's 16th-placed side.
Relegation
Eintracht Braunschweig (37 pts) and Fortuna Düsseldorf (37 pts) were relegated directly. Preußen Münster (30 pts) — in their first season in the 2. Bundesliga — had a difficult campaign, conceding 61 goals and finishing bottom.
The Story: Schalke's Triumphant Return
Schalke 04 had been one of German football's most storied clubs before their financial collapse. After years of rebuilding and a stint in the 3. Liga, they have clawed their way back to the Bundesliga — and this time the squad looks sustainable.
The Veltins-Arena will host Bundesliga football again, to the enormous joy of their 60,000+ fan base. Their first Bundesliga campaign back will be watched with enormous interest across Germany.
Looking Ahead
Schalke and Elversberg face Bundesliga football. Braunschweig and Düsseldorf drop to the 3. Liga. Münster face an immediate return.
Follow the 2. Bundesliga on MatchPulse
Stats, predictions and live data for every 2. Bundesliga fixture.
View 2. Bundesliga