Royal Belgian Football Association facts for kids
| UEFA | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Full name | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Short name | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Founded | 1 September 1895 |
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| Headquarters | Brussels |
| FIFA affiliation | 1904 |
| UEFA affiliation | 1954 |
| President | Pascale Van Damme |
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is the main organization for football in Belgium. It's often called the RBFA for short. This group helps manage and organize all sorts of football activities across the country. It was one of the first members of FIFA (the world football body) in 1904 and UEFA (the European football body) in 1954. The RBFA's main office is now in Tubize, next to its special training center.
Contents
What Teams and Games Does It Organize?
The Royal Belgian Football Association is in charge of many different football teams and competitions.
National Teams
The RBFA organizes Belgium's national teams, including:
- The men's national team (often called the Red Devils).
- The women's national team.
- Youth national teams for different age groups.
- A national eSports team for the FIFA video game.
Football Leagues and Cups
The Association also runs the system of football leagues in Belgium. This includes many different levels of competition, from the top professional leagues to local ones.
- First Division A (the top league)
- First Division B
- National Division 1
- Division 2
- Division 3
- Provincial leagues (local leagues)
It also organizes cup competitions where teams from different leagues play against each other:
- The Belgian Cup
- The Belgian Supercup
Futsal and Women's Football
The RBFA also manages:
- Futsal competitions (a type of indoor football).
- Women's football competitions, which include:
- Super League (the top women's league)
- First Division
- Second Division
- Third Division
- Belgian Women's Cup
From 2012 to 2015, the Belgian and Dutch football groups worked together to create a joint league called the BeNe League for women's teams. After a few years, they decided to go back to having their own separate top leagues.
Who Leads the Association?
Many important people have led the Royal Belgian Football Association over the years. Here are some of the chairpersons:
- 1895–1924: Baron Edouard de Laveleye
- 1924–1929: Count Joseph d'Oultremont
- 1929–1937: Rodolphe William Seeldrayers
- 1937–1943: Oscar van Kesbeeck
- 1945–1951: Francis Dessain
- 1951–1967: Georges Hermesse
- 1967–1987: Louis Wouters
- 1987–2001: Baron Michel D'Hooghe
- 2001–2005: Jan Peeters
- 2006–2017: François De Keersmaecker
- 2017–2019: Gérard Linard
- 2019–2021: Mehdi Bayat
- 2021–2022: Robert Huygens
- 2022–2023: Paul Van den Bulck
- 2023–present: Pascale Van Damme
Special Awards from the Association
Each year, the RBFA gives out special awards to people who have done great things for football. These awards recognize their hard work and dedication.
Some of the highest awards include:
- Grand Order of the Baron de Laveleye: This is the highest award and has only been given to a few people, including past chairpersons.
- Gold Medal: Given to honorary members who have served for 10 years.
- Honorary Member: Given to certain international referees and chairpersons, usually after 40 years of service.
- Emeritus Member: Given to certain referees and chairpersons, usually after 30 years of service.
- Association Medal of Honour: Given to certain referees and chairpersons, usually after 20 years of service.
- Medal of Recognition: Often given to national football team players who have played in 35 international games. It can also be given to players whose careers ended early due to injury (after 20 games) or to people who have helped the RBFA in a very special way.
Awards Received by the Association
- In 1992, FIFA gave the Belgian Football Association the FIFA Fair Play Award. This award recognizes good sportsmanship and fair play.
Helping Others: Charity Work
In 1986, when the Belgian men's team reached the semifinals of the World Cup in Mexico, they started a special project called Casa Hogar. This project, supported by the RBFA, created a home for street children in the Mexican city of Toluca. The football players donated some of their earnings from the tournament to help these children. For 25 years, the RBFA continued to support Casa Hogar, helping over 500 children get meals and an education.
Current Sponsors
The RBFA works with many companies that help support football in Belgium. These sponsors include:
See also
In Spanish: Real Asociación Belga de Fútbol para niños
