Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Belgium. The Royal Belgian Football Association is the largest sports federation in Belgium as well.

English students brought soccer to Belgium around 1865. The Antwerp Football and Cricket club was founded in 1880 and is the oldest team in existence. The Belgian Football Association was founded in 1895. In 1972 the final round of European Championships for the national teams was held in Belgium.

To the left, you can see a picture of the national soccer stadium which is located in Brussels.

The major athletic event held each year in Belgium is the Memorial Van Damme Meeting. It a premier track and field grand prix meeting with regning Olympic and world champions participating each year. It is held on the first Friday in September which means the even will be held September 3 this year (2004).

The event gets its name from the Belgian middle distance runner Ivo Van Damme. After winning two silver medals at the Montreal Olympics, he was tragically killed in a car accident on his way back to his traqining camp. The next year, journalists organized a meeting in his honor and an athletic tradition was born.

Belgians also enjoy a host of other sports activities just as we do in the United States. Residents and visitors of Belgium enjoy hockey, cycling, basketball, golf, and many types of water sports just to name a few.