Germany: DFB extraordinary congress on 18 December 2026 with a view to reducing the Regionalliga (D4)

The executive committee of the German Football Association (DFB) convened an extraordinary DFB congress on 18 December 2026, at its meeting on 30 October 2026. The 257 delegates will have to decide, in Frankfurt am Main (Hesse, GER), on a possible reorganisation of the 4^th division (Regionalliga) and on a change to the promotion rules to the 3.Liga.

The DFB board wants to reduce the Regionalliga from five to four groups. The four champions would then be promoted directly, and the Regionalliga would have only 80 teams, compared with 90 in 2026-27.

"Clubs would be allocated to the four groups according to the shortest travel distances, and no longer according to membership of a particular regional association," the German federation said.

"Special arrangements may be made if one of the…