Belgium

Abstract

From the moment that it appeared and became widespread in the middle of the nineteenth century, football has succeeded in making itself one of the most popular sports in the world, a trend in which Belgium has been no exception. More than 150 years since the first balls were kicked on Belgian pitches, football is now the most played sport in the country, with the national federation counting more than 400,000 members among more than 1500 clubs. The main aim of this chapter will be to cover different social phenomena by approaching several aspects of Belgian football. First, we will tackle the controversial birth of the sport in Belgium and the way it was structurally adapted to the country using a chronological approach. Then, in the second part, we will deal with the first rivalries that emerged on Belgian pitches, looking at their roots as well as the degree to which they still exist. Third, we will approach the mobilisation of supporters, both at national and club levels. Finally, we will focus on the issue of foreign players’ limitation and Belgium’s actual performance as a national team.