Sports in Belgium

National sports in Belgium

Football is the national sport in Belgium. The most famous clubs include Bruges, Standard Liège, Union St-Gilloise, and RSC Anderlecht. Every year, the Jupiler Pro League and the national cups draw large crowds.

Cycling also holds a prominent place, both as a competitive sport and a leisure activity, with Belgium boasting many champions in this discipline.

In the low countries, cyclists have priority over motorists and are greatly favored on the roads.

Tennis and athletics are also popular, with both amateurs and renowned professionals regularly participating in high-level sporting events. Conversely, rugby and handball are not as popular in the low countries.

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Other popular sports in Belgium

Many other sports are practiced by the Belgian population. Men, women, and children enjoy, in addition to football and cycling, activities such as running, swimming, gymnastics, fitness, badminton, and basketball. More and more people are also getting interested in trail running.

An increasing number of Belgian joggers regularly train for marathons or half-marathons.

The country has nearly 2,000 football clubs and around 250,000 official matches are played each year. Indoor versions like mini-football and futsal are also very popular. In other words, if you're looking to make football your sport, Belgium is truly worthwhile.

In winter, a few small ski resorts, mainly located in the High Fens, allow for enjoyment of winter sports when there is enough natural or artificial snow.

Keeping up with sports news in Belgium

Several newspapers have a sports section. Online, the sites RTBF actus and La Libre are excellent references.

The official site Team Belgium, managed by the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee, lists all the sports federations in the country, presents the athletes, and publishes the calendar of national and international competitions where Belgium is represented.

Sporting events in Belgium

Every year, Belgium hosts numerous sporting events, ranging from major international competitions to local races. You'll find unmissable events like the classic cycling races (Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège), marathons, triathlons, tennis tournaments, and even national championships in various disciplines.

The site out.be lists a large number of these events, whether for walking, cycling, fitness, badminton, running, or other sports.

Practicing a sport in Belgium

Depending on the sport you choose to practice, many clubs and facilities will welcome you. Don't hesitate to contact the federations and clubs that interest you. Some sites are listed in the useful links section at the end of the article.

To engage in your favorite sport, you can choose to subscribe or practice spontaneously. If you're interested in cycling, numerous bike paths are available, making cycling in Belgium very easy.

If you prefer running or hiking, the site Randobel will guide you to the best routes to take.

And if you want to swim, you will need to pay a fee to access a pool. They are about 3 € per visit.

For team sports, many football, basketball, tennis, or padel courts are available by reservation.

Good to know:

Some municipalities partially subsidize children's registration in a sports club, and the sports voucher is accepted in several regions.

Joining a gym in Belgium

If you prefer to train and take fitness classes in gyms, know that there are many gyms in Belgium.

Belgium has a large number of gyms, ranging from small local facilities to large chains like Basic-Fit, Jims, or Aspria. They generally offer weight training equipment, group classes (yoga, spinning, zumba, etc.), and sometimes wellness areas with saunas or pools.

Prices vary depending on the subscription chosen, but you should expect to pay between 20 € and 60 € per month on average. Some municipalities also offer discounts for young people, seniors, or benefit recipients.