The German Football League (DFL) released the schedule for the upcoming 2025/26 second-division season on Friday afternoon (June 27). The Lilies will kick off the new season with a home game against Bundesliga relegated side VfL Bochum. SV Darmstadt 98's first away trip will take them to 1. FC Nürnberg. The first half of the season will conclude with an away game against SC Paderborn on Matchday 17.
After the winter break, SV Darmstadt 98 will resume league action away against VfL Bochum between January 16 and 18, 2026. The second division season will conclude with a home game against SC Paderborn on May 17, 2026 (3:30pm) at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. The international breaks for the 2025/26 season are scheduled around the following weekends: September 5-7, October 10-12, November 14-16, and March 27-29.
Paul Fernie: „There’s nothing better than starting the season with a home game at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. With VfL Bochum, we’re looking forward to a challenging and exciting opening match against a club that has played in the Bundesliga in recent years. The DFL schedule offers us interesting, traditional clubs on the first few matchdays, which already increases our excitement and anticipation for the start of the season.“
Game Day |
Match |
Dates |
| 1. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – VfL Bochum | 02/03.08.2025 |
| 2. Matchday | 1. FC Nürnberg – SV Darmstadt 98 | 08. until 10.08.2025 |
| DFB-Pokal, 1st Round | VfB Lübeck – SV Darmstadt 98 | 16.08.2025, 6pm |
| 3. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – Hertha BSC | 22. until 24.08.2025 |
| 4. Matchday | 1. FC Kaiserslautern – SV Darmstadt 98 | 29. until 31.08.2025 |
| 5. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – Eintracht Braunschweig | 12. until 14.09.2025 |
| 6. Matchday | Fortuna Düsseldorf – SV Darmstadt 98 | 19. until 21.09.2025 |
| 7. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – Dynamo Dresden | 26. until 28.09.2025 |
| 8. Matchday | Holstein Kiel – SV Darmstadt 98 | 03. until 05.10.2025 |
| 9. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – 1. FC Magdeburg | 17. until 19.10.2025 |
| 10. Matchday | FC Schalke 04 – SV Darmstadt 98 | 24. until 26.10.2025 |
| 11. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – Arminia Bielefeld | 31.10. until 02.11.2025 |
| 12. Matchday | Hannover 96 – SV Darmstadt 98 | 07. until 09.11.2025 |
| 13. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – SpVgg Greuther Fürth | 21. until 23.11.2025 |
| 14. Matchday | SV Elversberg – SV Darmstadt 98 | 28. until 30.11.2025 |
| 15. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – Karlsruher SC | 05. until 07.12.2025 |
| 16. Matchday | SV Darmstadt 98 – SC Preußen Münster | 12. until 14.12.2025 |
| 17. Matchday | SC Paderborn – SV Darmstadt 98 | 19. until 21.12.2025 |
The pairings for the first round of the DFB Cup have been drawn: SV Darmstadt 98 will face FC Carl Zeiss Jena away from home. The draw took place on Saturday evening (June 6th) at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Under the supervision of DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth, Referee of the Year 2026, Deniz Aytekin, who acted as the draw's host live on ARD, drew the match between Darmstadt and Jena.
From the warm opening ceremony to the awards ceremony: The German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt offered exciting games, many wonderful encounters and a well-deserved German champion in the Hesse selection, which also included players from the SV 98 ID team.
The first dates for SV 98's preparations for the 2026/27 second division season have been set: On June 25th, the professional team will return to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor to undergo various medical tests and performance diagnostics. The first team training session will take place on June 27th in the Odenwald region.
Who will SV Darmstadt 98 face in the first round of the DFB Cup? This question will be answered this coming Saturday (June 6th). The draw for the first round will be broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau. We'll be taking a look and providing you with all the information. We'll also be celebrating with the fan team's survival in the Kreisklasse B (eighth tier) and taking a look across the border to Texas in the USA. All this and more for you in "Lilies Across the Board" on Wednesday.
Fraser Hornby's time at Darmstadt 98 comes to an end after three years. The Scottish attacking midfielder is moving to VfL Wolfsburg. Both clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee confidential.
An eight-goal thriller to close out the season. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team took to the pitch one last time this season on Saturday (May 30th) – away against FC Eddersheim. The young Lilies secured a 5-3 victory in Eddersheim, finishing the 2025/26 Hessenliga season in eleventh place. Even more remarkable, however, was the U21's run at the end of the season: the Blue and Whites won their last five matches, scoring an impressive 22 goals in the process.
Barcelona, Spain. A global city right on the Mediterranean. Over 1.7 million people live here. And one of them is Clemens Riedel. The 22-year-old former Darmstadt player moved from SV 98 to Espanyol Barcelona last summer – from youth academy to professional in the Spanish first division. We spoke with Riedel about his first year in Barcelona, the past season, and his still close ties to Darmstadt.
SV 98 can continue to rely on the services of Fabian Nürnberger. The Lilies have extended the expiring contract with the Bulgarian international.
Grayson Dettoni will continue to wear the SV 98 jersey. The Lilies have exercised their option to buy the defender, who was previously on loan from FC Bayern Munich.
The German Football Championship for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) kicks off on Sunday – and it's taking place in Darmstadt's Bürgerpark! Last week, the Darmstadt 98ers' home ground offered a different kind of sporting event: a karate demonstration. We also take a look at the opponents for the new season and celebrate two birthdays this week. You'll find all this and much more about Darmstadt 98 in our usual "Lilies Across the Board".
„I’m proud of you,“ were the words of U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt to the team after they secured their place in the Hessenliga. On Saturday (May 23rd), SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team had the chance to stay in the league against Turabdin Babylon Pohlheim – and they seized it impressively! The young Lilies delivered a convincing 5-1 goal fest, but at the same time still needed help from other teams to guarantee their survival. However, because their direct rivals, CSC 03 Kassel, narrowly lost in Stadtallendorf, the U21 team was finally able to celebrate.
For the fourth time, the Haftpflichtkasse insurance company and SV Darmstadt 98 have jointly awarded four clubs with the Volunteer Award. The award ceremony, including the presentation of the checks, took place last Sunday (May 17th) before the home game against SC Paderborn at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. The Volunteer Award, established in 2023 by the Haftpflichtkasse and SV Darmstadt 98, aims to strengthen volunteer engagement and promote outstanding projects.