What is the RBFA?
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is the national football association of Belgium. FIFA lists it under that name as its Belgian member association, in the UEFA confederation, with its website at rbfa.be.[2] UEFA’s profile gives its original name as “Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association / Koninklijke Belgische Voetbalbond”.[1] Wikipedia’s background article uses the same Dutch name, Koninklijke Belgische Voetbalbond, for the present association, and also describes it as a founding member of FIFA in 1904.[4]
What does the RBFA govern or do?
The association is responsible for Belgium’s national teams. UEFA describes its national training centre at Tubize, near Brussels, as the base that hosts the national teams and the association’s technical staff.[1]
It also sets policy for the domestic game. UEFA reports that the association gave clubs more than €8 million during the pandemic, and that its women’s football strategy, Believe and Achieve, launched in 2024 and running to 2028, aims for 10% annual growth in the number of female players.[1]
When was the RBFA founded and where is it based?
UEFA’s profile dates the association’s founding to 1895, under the name Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association / Koninklijke Belgische Voetbalbond.[1] Wikipedia’s background article gives the same year.[4]
UEFA places the association’s national training centre at Tubize, near Brussels.[1] The same profile lists Pascale Van Damme as president since 2023 and Vincent Mannaert as general secretary since 2026, under the title CEO.[1]
How is the RBFA recognised?
FIFA. FIFA’s member-association page lists the Royal Belgian Football Association as its member for Belgium, in the UEFA confederation, with Pascale Van Damme as president.[2] UEFA records that in 1904 the association became “one of the seven founding members of FIFA”.[1]
UEFA. UEFA’s directory of national associations lists Belgium among its member associations and links to the association’s profile.[3] UEFA’s profile adds that in 1954 José Crahay took a role in UEFA’s newly formed governing body.[1]
What does the RBFA organise?
National teams. UEFA describes the training centre at Tubize as the home of the national teams and of the association’s technical staff.[1]
Development programmes. UEFA describes the association’s Believe and Achieve strategy for women’s football (2024–2028), and reports that its predecessor strategy was followed by a 38% rise in registered female footballers and a 23% rise in women’s teams.[1] UEFA also reports a Scoring for Health project that reached about 3,200 boys and girls at 160 schools in eight cities.[1]
Who are its members?
UEFA’s profile describes the association’s work with Belgian clubs in figures. It reports that the association distributed more than €8 million to clubs during the pandemic, and that registered female footballers rose by 38% and women’s teams by 23% under its earlier women’s strategy.[1] UEFA cites one club example, BX Brussels, which it says offers training and development opportunities to its 120 female players through BX Femina.[1]
References
- UEFA — National associations: Belgium (Royal Belgian Football Association profile). Accessed 2026-10-12.
- FIFA — Member associations: Royal Belgian Football Association. Accessed 2026-10-12.
- UEFA — National associations (directory of member associations). Accessed 2026-10-12.
- Wikipedia — Royal Belgian Football Association (background only). Accessed 2026-10-12.