Bayern Munich wins Women’s Bundesliga for fourth straight year

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich won the Women’s Bundesliga for the fourth straight year on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory at league newcomer Union Berlin.

Klara Bühl set up fellow substitute Giulia Gwinn for a late winner after Union twice fought back to equalize. Both players were celebrating their returns from injury.

The team moved an unassailable 15 points clear of Wolfsburg – the last side other than Bayern to land the crown in 2022 – with four games from 26 still to play.

It's the earliest title since Duisburg also won it with four rounds to spare in 2000, after playing 18 rounds of 22 at the time.

Bayern's title, its eighth altogether, comes after a 19-game winning run in the league – a club record.

“Congratulations to the most successful title collectors in the history of FC Bayern. The fourth German championship in a row is the next historic achievement. We are proud of this team,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said four days after congratulating the men's team for clinching their Bundesliga title on Saturday.

“Crazy, and very special,” goalscorer Barbara Dunst said after her first Bundesliga title following her summer switch from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Bavarian powerhouse next turns its attention to Barcelona’s visit on Saturday for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal. Bayern is bidding to reach the final for the first time while mindful of Barça’s 7-1 rout when they met for their opening game in the league phase.

Bayern encountered no such issues in the Bundesliga, winning every game with the exception of a draw at home to Carl Zeiss Jena in September. Jena is now bottom of the table, fighting for survival.

Bayern coach José Barcala rested a host of regulars against Union with the likes of Gwinn, Bühl and Pernille Harder starting on the substitutes’ bench.

It seemed not to matter with Edna Imade scoring after a corner in the eighth minute.

But Sophie Weidauer delighted the large crowd in Union’s 22,000 capacity Stadion An der Alten Försterei – where the men’s team also plays – when she capitalized on a defensive error and set off on a run before beating Bayern goalkeeper Cara Bösl in the 11th.

Bayern had to wait till the 50th for Dunst to respond with a long-range shot that squeezed inside the left post.

Lia Kamber pulled Union level again after a well-worked move in the 77th, but Bayern's perseverance paid off through Gwinn's winner in the 84th.

Wolfsburg drew 0-0 at Werder Bremen, with both teams reduced to 10 women with late red cards.

Bayern, the defending champion, also faces Wolfsburg in the Women’s German Cup final on May 14 in Cologne.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly said there were three games still to play. There are four games remaining for both Bayern and Wolfsburg.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bayern players celebrate their side's third goal during a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Munich players celebrate winning the German championship after a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Munich players celebrate winning the German championship after a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Bayern's Linda Dallmann, right, runs with the ball during a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Bayern's Edna Imade watches the ball during a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Bayern's Giulia Gwinn celebrates her side's third goal during a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Bayern's Giulia Gwinn celebrates her side's third goal during a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Bayern's Magdalena Eriksson, right, and Bayern's Barbara Dunst celebrate their side's second goal during a German women's Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center was running out of options Friday evening to keep President Donald Trump's name on the facade of the iconic performing arts venue.

A judge earlier in the afternoon rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline of Friday to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the Kennedy Center's operations. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.

Scaffolding was erected earlier in the day around a section of the building that includes Trump's name. After a round of storms passed Friday evening, multiple workers were back at the scene further building out the scaffolding in an apparent effort to prepare for removing the letters referencing the president.

After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump's name was quickly added to the building.

In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center's name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.

The Kennedy Center's leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump's speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.

“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal. “Indeed, total collapse!”

Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump's name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper's initial ruling.

A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”

The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped Trump's name. And an earlier email sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump’s name.

Associated Press journalists Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Workers construct scaffolding at the sign for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Workers erect scaffolding in front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Workers construct scaffolding below the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Workers erect scaffolding in front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

A worker sits on scaffolding at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)