The 2026-27 Bundesliga season begins August 28 with an 18-team field reshaped by the prior campaign’s results. Heidenheim and St. Pauli suffered automatic relegation while Wolfsburg dropped via playoff loss to Paderborn, clearing space for Schalke’s return, Elversberg’s debut, and Paderborn’s reappearance. Pre-season analysis highlights the three promoted sides, along with established clubs such as Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln, Hamburger SV, Mainz, Augsburg, and Union Berlin, as the core group expected to contest the bottom of the table. The bottom two clubs face automatic drop with 16th entering the playoff; squad depth, transfer reinforcements, and early results in a compressed schedule will shape survival prospects before the winter break.