Belgium is a football country that is genuinely a cycling country first, and the calendar shows it.
Spring belongs to the classics. The Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liège–Bastogne–Liège are national events in a way no league fixture is, and the cobbled races through East Flanders shut down whole towns. Belgian riders are followed race by race through the Tour, the Vuelta and the World Championships, and cyclocross in winter is a mainstream televised sport here and almost nowhere else.
Then football. The Red Devils are covered as a national project rather than a team, with the golden generation's near-misses still the reference point for every squad since. Domestically the Jupiler Pro League runs a play-off system that splits the table and confuses everyone who did not grow up with it, and Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Genk, Standard and Union carry followings that do not track their current form.
Beyond both: the Belgian Cats, one of the best basketball sides in Europe; Nafi Thiam and Belgian athletics; hockey's Red Lions; and the tennis and Formula 1 results a country of this size follows closely because Spa is here.
Each result summarised to 60 words in English — what happened, the score, what it means for the standing. Written for someone who wants to know the outcome without reading a match report in Dutch.
Midfielder Casper Nielsen has suffered a muscle tear. The Standard Liège player will be sidelined for several weeks, a serious blow to his team. The length of his absence will have to be taken into ac…
Brussels’ bid to host Euro 2030 has suffered a major setback. European football’s governing body preferred Finland, deemed a safer choice, over the symbolic significance championed by Belgium. The dec…
The market value of Standard's squad has risen sharply in just over a year, reaching its highest level since 2021. This increase strengthens the Liège club's position in the transfer market. It is an …
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has suspended 33-year-old champion Peres Jepchirchir after she tested positive for EPO. The test was conducted before the Sydney Marathon. Jepchirchir won the race o…
Kenyan marathon runner Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for EPO. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), athletics’ anti-doping body, imposed the measure on Friday…
Belgian cycling champion Marion Norbert Riberolle is temporarily out of competition after undergoing surgery for a heart rhythm disorder. As a result, the rider must temporarily stop all cycling activ…
Mario Stroeykens (22) seemed destined to leave Anderlecht this summer, but developed into a key player in Europe. The midfielder regained his confidence after a good conversation with Vítor Bruno. Tod…
Gashtarov, a Red Star Belgrade defender, scored an own goal in the Conference League. His effort deceived his own goalkeeper, creating a particularly surprising moment during the match. The own goal c…
More than a year after footballer Diogo Jota’s fatal car crash, his widow Rute Cardoso, 30, reveals more about her husband’s final night. In his biography, she describes sending him a message saying, …
Bruges city council will consider the leasehold agreement for Club Brugge’s new stadium next month, one month later than planned. This delays formal approval, but preparatory works may already begin. …
Entrepreneur Guido Dumarey of Sint-Martens-Latem is taking over Alpine Racing from Renault through his Dumarey Group. This gives him control of the French engine plant in Viry-Châtillon and its activi…
Formula 1 arrives in Austin this weekend, where Max Verstappen is concerned about the condition of the circuit. The Dutchman calls the numerous bumps unacceptable and says his lower back is suffering …
The 70th Ballon d’Or will be awarded in London on 26 October to the best footballers of the past year. The winners of the men’s and women’s awards will then be revealed. Thibaut Courtois is again in c…
After the international break, the Red Devils returned to action for their clubs in Europe. Koni De Winter conceded a penalty for AC Milan, who then suffered a heavy defeat. Charles De Ketelaere also …
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