David Mokwa (left) scored twice in Elversberg’s 3-0 win over Preußen Münster on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Uwe Anspach/DPA via AP

Small-town club Elversberg clinched promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time on Sunday by finishing runner-up in Germany’s second division behind already-promoted Schalke.

Early goals from Bambasé Conté and David Mokwa, followed by another from Mokwa, gave Elversberg a 3-0 home win over bottom side Preußen Münster, enough for it to finish ahead of Paderborn on goal difference.

Elversberg will be the 59th club to play in the top division since the Bundesliga’s formation in 1963.

Three teams were level on points going into the final round, with Hannover and Paderborn both hoping for an unlikely favour from already-relegated Münster against Elversberg, which had the better goal difference.

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Hannover was on course to finish third and enter the playoff when it was leading Nuremberg 3-2, but Luka Lochoshvili scored late for the visitor to allow Paderborn to move above Hannover into third place with a 2-0 win at Darmstadt.

As a result, Paderborn will face Wolfsburg in a two-leg playoff to decide which team plays in the Bundesliga next season.

Wolfsburg, which finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga on Saturday, will host the first leg of the playoff on Thursday.

Published on May 17, 2026