Bundesliga 2 promotion race 2026/27: Which teams are candidates to go up?
The fight for a place in the Bundesliga is on. With established heavyweights, fallen giants and upwardly mobile clubs all in the mix, the 2026/27 promotion race has all the ingredients to be one of the season's most compelling stories. Here are the teams to watch.
Wolfsburg
"We know we're regarded as favourites, but first we have to get down to work."
Those were the words of Dieter Hecking upon being appointed managing director of sport at Wolfsburg in June, having been the first-team head coach at the end of last season.
And if Hecking says it, who are we to argue? Not that it'll all be plain-sailing for new coach Tobias Strobl, though. Hecking also confirmed that "there will still be a number of changes to the squad" at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, following the departures of Patrick Wimmer and Jonas Wind.
They have been offset by the arrivals of Fabian Reese, Robert Glatzel and Elvis Rexhbecaj though, adding much-needed experience and, in the case of Glatzel, proven goalscoring know-how in Bundesliga 2.
Watch: Wolfsburg relegated after play-off defeat
Excluding the newly relegated teams, Hannover look best placed to earn promotion in 2026/27, having come agonisingly close to doing so last season by finished just two points behind second-placed Elversberg.
Under head coach Christian Titz, now entering his second full season at the club, Hannover will be hoping to end their seven-year absence from the Bundesliga.
They've been busy in the transfer market this summer to try and make that happen, recruiting winger Daisuke Yokota from Gent and goalkeeper Pascal Loretz from Luzern.
The last time St. Pauli were in Bundesliga 2, current Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler led them to a remarkable promotion. The man tasked with repeating that feat is newly-appointed Marcel Rapp, who has previously taken Holstein Kiel to the promised land.
The loss of star midfielder Daniel Sinani and goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj will certainly be felt, but crucially Rapp has retained the likes of captain Jackson Irvine, Sweden international Eric Smith and Bundesliga 2 goal-machine Martijn Kaars.
The final newly-relegated side in focus is Heidenheim, who very nearly completed an extraordinary great escape on the final day of the 2026/27 season. Under Frank Schmidt, they won three of their last five games and drew with Bayern Munich.
Schmidt, meanwhile, is embarking on his 19th season as Heidenheim boss, and 10th in the second-tier. "No one needs to be fearful," said the 52-year-old after their relegation was confirmed.
"We've shown before that we're capable of analysing things quickly and resetting. The way our fans have responded gives us strength and confidence."
A traditional giant of German football, Hertha's campaign has been hamstrung before it's even begun, with wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn and Reese both leaving the club over the summer.
Nevertheless, a decent finish to last season, which saw the club stabilise in seventh, should renew hopes of a return to the Bundesliga. Schalke have shown the blueprint – can Hertha follow suit?
The Red Devils' sixth-place finish was a marginal improvement on the previous season, and they will be keen for more this time around.
Head coach Torsten Lieberknecht has done a solid job at Kaiserslautern since joining in April 2025, and with their 49,000-capacity Fritz-Walter-Stadion sold out at every game, they have a significant home advantage to capitalise on.
The Lillies may have lost Isac Lidberg and Fraser Hornby over the summer but they nevertheless remain a strong top-three candidate.
That is in part down to the continuity at the club, where head coach Florian Kohfeldt has held the reins since September 2024. The 43-year-old's side ended up ten points off the promotion pace last term, but on their day, Darmstadt can be a match for anyone
"We've developed a real sense of togetherness," Kohfeldt said in July 2026 following his team's 7-2 friendly win against Sonnenhof Großaspach. "I have a very positive impression of the atmosphere within the squad. That's not something you can simply manufacture."
