Germany/DFB: budget for youth development in the 3.Liga up from €3m to €5m (+66.6%)

The Deutscher Fussball Bund has approved a two-thirds increase in funding for youth development in the 3.Liga for the 2026-27 season, from €3m to €5m. The decision was taken by the DFB general assembly and supervisory board at a meeting on 10/03/2026.

The total amount will be distributed among third division clubs each year according to fixed criteria. This fund for promoting young talent was introduced in the 3.Liga in 2018 as a measure to help clubs maintain youth academies and to train and promote German players aged under 21. The aim is to further improve the permeability between the junior and professional sectors and to increase playing time for talented players who are eligible to play for German national teams.

"For several years now, the playing time of young German talents has been increasing in the 3.Liga. In 2024-25, the share of playing time for German U23 players reached a new record high of 30% of total playing time," according to the DFB.

"Another record: in 2024-25, 20 German international players aged under 23 came from the 3.Liga. Nine of them were part of the…