Key Takeaways
- Bayern Munich has not won the DFB‑Pokal since the 2019/20 “Triple” season, marking a six‑year trophy drought.
- The drought includes several shocking early‑exit defeats: losses to Holstein Kiel (2021), Borussia Mönchengladbach (2022), SC Freiburg (2023), 1. FC Saarbrücken (2024) and Bayer Leverkusen (2025).
- Historically, Bayern are the most successful club in the competition, reaching 25 finals and winning 20 of them.
- The upcoming final against VfB Stuttgart offers a chance to end the drought; Bayern beat Stuttgart 4:2 in their last meeting and arrive with strong Bundesliga and Champions League form.
- A victory would restore Bayern’s domestic cup pedigree and add to their record‑breaking Bundesliga season.
Bayern Munich approaches the DFB‑Pokal final on Saturday with a mixture of optimism and lingering frustration. After a dominant Bundesliga campaign in which they secured the title with an 18‑point lead and broke the league’s goal‑scoring record, the side under Vincent Kompany has earned a place in the showpiece against VfB Stuttgart. For a club accustomed to lifting silverware, the fact that Bayern have not won the domestic cup since the 2019/20 season feels anomalous. That season, the “Triple‑winning” team defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the final, but the six years since have been marked by a series of unexpected early exits that have chipped away at the aura of invincibility surrounding the Munich side.
The drought began in earnest in 2021 when Bayern, despite being heavy favourites, were knocked out in the second round by Holstein Kiel, a team then competing in the 2. Bundesliga, losing on penalties. The following year brought a humiliating 0‑5 quarter‑final defeat at the hands of Borussia Mönchengladbach, a result that saw the holders unceremoniously ejected from the tournament. In 2023, SC Freiburg ended Bayern’s run in the quarterfinals, and the nadir arrived in 2024 when a last‑minute goal from 1. FC Saarbrücken—a third‑division side—secured a shocking victory, the first time in club history that Bayern had lost to a team from the third tier in the DFB‑Pokal. The most recent setback came in 2025, when Bayer Leverkusen eliminated Bayern in the round of eight, again before the semifinals could be reached. These consecutive failures have not only denied Bayern a piece of silverware but have also sparked soul‑searching among fans and pundits about squad depth, tactical flexibility, and mental resilience in knockout fixtures.
Yet, the historical backdrop tells a very different story. Bayern Munich remain the most successful club in the competition’s history, having appeared in 25 finals and triumphing on 20 occasions—a record unmatched by any other German side. Their early‑period struggles, such as the shocking loss to 1. FC Magdeburg in 2000/01 and first‑round exits in 1990/91 and 1994/95, are outweighed by decades of dominance, including multiple doubles and trebles that featured cup victories. The recent Bundesliga supremacy, coupled with strong performances in the Champions League, has replenished the squad’s confidence. The momentum from a record‑breaking league campaign and the psychological boost of overcoming Stuttgart 4:2 in their most recent league encounter suggest that the psychological barrier of the cup drought may finally be ready to crack.
Saturday’s final against VfB Stuttgart therefore carries added weight. Stuttgart, the current DFB‑Pokal holders, will be defending a title they won last season, but Bayern’s recent form—marked by a potent attack, a solid defensive foundation, and the leadership of experienced figures like Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich—provides a genuine chance to overturn the odds. A win would not only end the six‑year wait for a cup trophy but also reinforce Bayern’s status as Germany’s premier domestic force, adding another chapter to a storied cup legacy that has seen them lift the trophy more often than any other club. If the Bavarians can translate their league superiority into cup success, the final could herald the start of a new era of silverware for the Munich giants.