DFB-Pokal Draw: Waldhof Mannheim to host 1. FC Kaiserslautern

The draw for the first round of the DFB-Pokal has set the stage for several intriguing matchups, with third-division club Waldhof Mannheim set to host second-division side 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The draw was conducted by Deniz Aytekin, recently named "Referee of the Year."

Bundesliga club Mainz 05 faces a potentially challenging away game against VfB Krieschow, a fifth-division team from a village of 500 inhabitants in Brandenburg. Newly promoted Bundesliga side SV Elversberg will travel to face MSV Duisburg, a third-division club.

Lower-league teams from Rhineland-Palatinate also received tough draws against Bundesliga opponents. Fourth-division side Eintracht Trier will host RB Leipzig, while the soon-to-be fifth-division club Schott Mainz is scheduled to play against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The first round matches, excluding those involving FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, are scheduled to take place from August 21 to 24. The DFB-Pokal final is set for May 29, 2027, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.