German football sets new ticket sales record in 2025/26 season
A total of 21,404,258 tickets were sold in Germany last term, marking another new ticket sales record for professional football in the country.
With an average sale of 34,974 tickets per match, German professional football broke not only its sales record but also registered the highest average attendance in its history. The statistics themselves are based on the total number of tickets distributed - including complimentary and honorary tickets - as has been the case since data collection began in line with international practice.
A total of 12,718,097 tickets were sold in the Bundesliga, which represents a significant 9.1 percent increase on the previous season, with 11,653,239 having been sold in 2024/25. This equates to an average of 41,562 tickets per match, up from 38,082.
Watch: Matchday 1 excitement
The composition of the league is also a factor behind this strong growth. The returns of Cologne and Hamburg for the 2025/26 campaign saw the German top flight regain two clubs with massive fanbases, with both sides’ stadium capacities substantially exceeding those of relegated Darmstadt and Holstein Kiel.
As such, total ticket sales in Bundesliga 2 were slightly down from the previous season's level. A total of 8,686,161 tickets were sold in the 2025/26 season (an average of 28,386 per match), compared with 9,330,725 (an average of 30,493) the previous campaign.
Watch: Bochum & Hertha to raise Bundesliga 2 curtain
In terms of stadium occupancy based on tickets sold, the Bundesliga saw a 0.2 percent increase from the 2024/25 figure of 95.9 percent (96.1 percent). Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and St. Pauli all achieved maximum stadium occupancy of 100 percent, and of the 18 Bundesliga clubs, 16 recorded occupancy rates of more than 90 percent.
In Bundesliga 2, Preußen Münster led the way, recording almost 100 percent occupancy, closely followed by Schalke with just under 99 percent.
In absolute terms, however, Borussia Dortmund led the Bundesliga with an average attendance of almost 80,000 spectators. Die Schwarzgelben were followed by Bayern (~75,000) and Hamburg (~56,900) in second and third, respectively.
In Bundesliga 2, Schalke took the crown for highest average attendance with more than 61,000 spectators, ahead of Hertha Berlin (47,000) and Kaiserslautern (46,000).
Additionally, compared to their European counterparts, the Bundesliga once again outperformed Spain's La Liga (30,945) and Italy's Serie A (30,084)* in terms of average weekly attendances during the 2025/26 season.
Moreover, the average price of a Bundesliga matchday ticket - including VAT and the public transport levy - was €30.77, which was slightly up from €28.78 in 2024/25. A seated ticket cost €37.14 (2024/25: €35.28), while a standing ticket cost just €12.27 (2024/25: €12.04).
In Bundesliga 2, fans paid an average of €24.34, which was actually slightly down from the average cost of €24.70 in 2024/25. A seated ticket cost €26.72 (2024/25: €27.55), and a standing ticket set fans back €13.20 on average (2024/25: €12.55).
* Average attendances for European leagues in the 2025/26 season according to official match data from CIES (Centre International d'Étude du Sport).
