Belgian football guide - history, national team statistics, Belgian Cup titles

Details:

The Country: Belgique / België
Association: Union Royale Belge des Societes de Football Association / Koninklijke Belgische Voetbal Bond
Founded: 1895
Joined FIFA: 1904
Confederation: UEFA
Colors: Red, Yellow, Black
The Game: Football / Voetbal

Description:

Belgium is a nation divided along largely linguistic lines - French-speaking Wallonia and Flemish-speaking Flanders. The national team is known as the Red Devils and is sometimes seen as the only thing that unites the country. Belgium reached the World Cup semifinals in 1986 before succumbing to the unstoppable Argentina of Diego Maradona, their best-ever performance in the World Cup. Belgium were runners-up in the 1980 European Championship, losing 2-1 to West Germany.

At the domestic level Belgium has one of the oldest leagues in the world. A proper championship started in 1896, only seven years after the Football League in England. The traditional giants of the post-war Belgian game are Anderlecht and Club Brugge, with Standard a significant third force. A number of other great names from the early years of the game have long since drifted into the background, most importantly Union St Gilloise.

Belgian clubs are given a sequential foundation number at the time of their foundation called a matricule.The smaller the number the older the club and for many clubs it's a badge of pride to have a low number and sometimes even appears in club emblems. Koninklijke/Royal, which is found in many club names, is an honorary title given by the Belgian royal family for clubs of a certain antiquity (25 years existence before 1958, 35 years existence between 1958 and 1968, 50 years existence after 1968).

Belgian Football Clubs Map:

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Belgian National Team:

World Cup History:

• Semifinals (1986)
• Second Round (1982, 90, 94, 2002)
• First Round (1930, 34, 38, 70, 98)
• Did not qualify (1958, 62, 66, 74, 78, 2006)
• Did not enter (1950)

European Championship History:

• Finalists (1980)
• Semifinals (1972)
• Quarterfinals (1976)
• First Round (1964, 84, 2000)
• Did not qualify (1968, 88, 92, 96, 2004, 08)
• Did not enter (1960)

Total Belgian Cup Titles:

10 Club Brugge

9  Anderlecht

5  Standard Liège

3  KRC Genk

2  Cercle Brugge
2  Beveren
2  Germinal Beerschot
2  Antwerp
2  Lierse
2  Beerschot
2  KAA Gent
2  Union Saint-Gilloise
2  Waterschei

1  KV Mechelen
1  Daring Brussels
1  RFC Liége
1  Waregem
1  Racing Brussels
1  RAA Louvièroise
1  RRC Tournaisien
1  KVC Westerlo
1  Zulte-Waregem