Belgian Pro League to expand to 18 teams in 2026
Belgium’s top football division will return to an 18-team format from the 2026-27 season, scrapping the current play-off system. The decision was approved by Pro League clubs in a narrow vote on Thursday.
The transition will begin in the 2025-26 season, with a modified promotion and relegation system determining the two new top-tier teams. From 2026, the bottom two clubs will face direct relegation, while European qualification will be based on the regular-season standings.
“This is a major breakthrough,” said Pro League CEO Lorin Parys. “No club got everything it wanted, but this compromise reflects the needs of both big and smaller teams.” However, he acknowledged potential legal challenges to the reform.
The decision marks the end of Belgium’s divisive play-off system, introduced in 2009, which many fans and clubs criticised as overly complex. The move aligns the Pro League with most European leagues, where the team finishing top after the regular season is crowned champion.
The revised format attempts to balance the demands of larger clubs for fewer domestic matches to ease fixture congestion with those of smaller clubs, who want financial stability and better chances of survival in the top division. However, concerns remain over the impact on the second division.
Club Brugge celebrate being winning the Pro League season 2023-2024, 26 May 2024 © PHOTO DAVID CATRY / ISOSPORT
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