They join Hamburger SV, who secured promotion the previous week, in returning to Germany's top flight.
Eric Martel opened the scoring in the first half, powering a header past the Kaiserslautern defence, before Luca Waldschmidt doubled the lead with a clinical finish.
The Billy Goats dominated proceedings, delighting their raucous home crowd at the RheinEnergieStadion. "We played with heart and focus from the first whistle," said veteran coach Friedhelm Funkel, who celebrated his seventh Bundesliga promotion, a record unmatched by any other manager.
The second half saw Cologne maintain their intensity, despite Waldschmidt's missed penalty in the 56th minute. Florian Kainz restored the momentum with a curling strike, and Mark Uth, in his final professional match, sealed the rout with a composed finish. "To end my career like this, with promotion and a goal, is a dream," Uth said after the match. The victory capped a remarkable campaign, with Köln amassing 61 points to claim the 2. Bundesliga crown.
Hamburger SV, despite a 3-2 defeat to Greuther Furth, celebrated their long-awaited Bundesliga return. "Congratulations to Cologne for the championship, but we're thrilled to be back where we belong," said HSV coach Merlin Polzin via a post-match press conference, as shared on X by the club's official account. The Hamburg fans, though denied the title, are already planning a city-wide celebration.
Meanwhile, SV Elversberg have kept their Bundesliga hopes alive, securing third place with a 2-1 win over Schalke 04. Goals from Lukas Petkov and Maurice Neubauer propelled the Saarland side into the promotion/relegation play-offs against 1. FC Heidenheim. The first leg is set for Thursday, with the return match on May 26.
"We're the underdogs, but we've got nothing to lose," said Elversberg's star striker Fisnik Asllani, who contributed 18 goals this season. Remarkably, this is only Elversberg's second season in the 2. Bundesliga, having risen from the third tier in 2023.
Cologne's triumphant return and HSV's redemption mark a thrilling climax to the 2. Bundesliga season, while Elversberg's fairytale journey hangs in the balance.
Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has confirmed that his teams will be without several key defensive options for Friday night's Bundesliga meeting with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bayern Munich could be without Michael Olise for their final Bundesliga game of 2025 after the winger underwent what was described as "a minor eye procedure".
Borussia Dortmund are moving towards securing the long-term futures of Julian Brandt and captain Emre Can with fresh contracts expected to be agreed early in the new year.
Harry Kane has said Bayern Munich's aim heading into 2026 is simple, with the striker insisting the Bavarians "want to win everything" after a strong first half of the season under Vincent Kompany.
