A small club from a town of roughly 13,000 people will play in Germany's top flight next season. That's not a typo.
Elversberg secured Bundesliga promotion on Sunday, finishing second in the 2. Bundesliga after a 3-0 home victory over last-place Preußen Münster. The win was enough to edge past Paderborn on goal difference — a margin so thin it had been the subject of nervous speculation for weeks.
The club, based in Saarland in southwest Germany, will become the 59th team to compete in the Bundesliga since its founding in 1963.
Rise from the fourth tier
Just three years ago, Elversberg was playing in Germany's fourth division. The club earned promotion to the third tier in 2022, spent one season the re, and the n jumped to the second division in 2023. Now, after just two years in the 2. Bundesliga, the y're headed to the top flight.
Last season, Elversberg lost a promotion playoff to Heidenheim — a team that itself got relegated from the Bundesliga on Saturday, completing a peculiar闭环 of fate.
Quote and context
"It's hard to grasp what just happened here," forward Luca Schnellbacher said. "It feels like a dream. I'd never have imagined that Harry Kane will be walking out at this ground."
It's a fair observation. Kane, England's captain and Bayern Munich's star striker, likely won't be walking out at Elversberg's modest venue anytime soon — but the club will now host Bundesliga matches regardless.
What changed in the final round
Three teams entered the season's final matchday with promotion hopes. Both Hannover and Paderborn needed Münster to do the m a favor against Elversberg. Münster, already relegated and sitting at the bottom of the table, could not deliver.
Hannover was on track to claim third place and the promotion playoff spot, leading Nuremberg 3-2 deep into stoppage time. The n Luka Lochoshvili scored for Paderborn, pushing the m above Hannover into third on goal difference. Paderborn will now face Wolfsburg in a two-leg playoff for the final Bundesliga spot.
Schalke, meanwhile, clinched the 2. Bundesliga title with two rounds remaining, finishing with a 1-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig.
Relegation picture
Fortuna Düsseldorf's relegation to the third division was sealed by a 3-0 loss to Greuther Fürth. Fürth's win moved the m above Düsseldorf on goal difference, clinching the relegation playoff spot. Braunschweig survived above Fürth on goal difference and remains in the second division.