2025–26 Challenger Pro League

Challenger Pro League
Season2025–26
Matches96
Goals265 (2.76 per match)
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 2 November 2025.

The 2025–26 season of the Challenger Pro League is scheduled to begin in August 2025 and end in May 2026. It will be the fourth season under its new name after being renamed from First Division B.

Team changes

This season, two teams will be automatically promoted to Belgian Pro League and promotion play-off winner will be matched against last placed top tier team with no direct relegation due to top tier's expansion to 18 teams from 2026–27 onwards.

Incoming

  • Olympic Charleroi and Jong KAA Gent were promoted from the 2024–25 Belgian Division 1, respectively as ACFF (Francophone) and VV (Flemish) champions. Olympic Charleroi return to the second tier after 17 years absence, while Jong KAA Gent make their debut at this level.
  • Beerschot and Kortrijk were relegated from the 2024–25 Belgian Pro League. Beerschot immediately returned after just one season at the top level, while Kortrijk had been continuously at this level since 2008, ending their streak after 17 seasons.

Outgoing

Name change

  • RWDM announced on 6 June 2025 that it would change name to Daring Brussels, a reference to the former now defunct club Daring Club de Bruxelles.[1] However, following large protests by the fans, the club reinstated the letters RWDM and renamed itself again just one month later, to RWDM Brussels.[2]
  • Lokeren-Temse announced on 1 July 2025 that it would change its name to KSC Lokeren, reverting to the original name by which the former club K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen was initially known. While maintaining close cooperation with neighbors Temse, the two municipalities diverged in their football club support, with the supporters of Temse predominantly choosing to support SV Blauw Wit Temse, a club founded in 2020 when KSV Temse and K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen merged to form the current team.[3]

Jong Genk

By the end of February 2025, the Pro League voted in favor of a new competition format for the coming seasons, with part of the haggling between club presidents resulting in a new rule for the then ongoing season (2024–25 Challenger Pro League) which entered with immediate effect, stating that a minimum of four U23 would always need to be present in the Challenger Pro League. At the time of the decision, there were still seven matchdays to play and Jong Genk was in a relegation spot, but due to this rule the club was anyhow spared of relegation. In the end, Jong Genk did finish in a relegation spot and was officially reported as being relegated, due to the fact that the new proposal had not yet passed all instances for approval. By the end of June approval was given and the club was officially spared. On 1 July 2025 however, Francs Borains, Lokeren and Seraing together launched a formal appeal against the reform citing it unfair that U23 cannot be relegated whilst non-U23 teams can. Meanwhile the new calendar, including Jong Genk, was already released on 3 July 2025.[4] The Belgian Competition Authority ruled that they have a fair point, but somehow still ruled against them. Another similar appeal by Belgian champions Union SG is still open. On 9 October 2025, Francs Borains, Lokeren, and Seraing launched a new appeal, now with the Belgian Authority for Sports Arbitration.[5]

Team information

Stadiums and locations

Locations of the 2025–26 Challenger Pro League teams

Regular season

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Beveren (C, P) 29 25 4 0 66 22 +44 79 Promoted to Pro League
2 Kortrijk (X) 29 19 4 6 54 31 +23 61
3 Beerschot (X) 30 18 6 6 47 27 +20 60 Qualification for promotion play-offs
4 Lommel 29 14 8 7 55 41 +14 50
5 Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 30 13 9 8 40 38 +2 48
6 RFC Liège 29 13 5 11 38 37 +1 44
7 Eupen 29 11 10 8 39 31 +8 43
8 Jong KAA Gent[a] 29 12 4 13 41 46 −5 40
9 Lokeren 29 10 9 10 44 41 +3 39
10 Lierse 29 9 7 13 33 39 −6 34
11 Seraing 29 7 10 12 33 41 −8 31
12 RWDM Brussels 29 8 9 12 45 47 −2 30[b]
13 Francs Borains 29 8 7 14 29 41 −12 30[c] Relegated to National Division 1
14 Jong Genk[a] 29 7 7 15 37 54 −17 28
15 RSCA Futures[a] 29 6 10 13 40 48 −8 28
16 Club NXT[a] 30 4 6 20 32 54 −22 18
17 Olympic Charleroi (R) 29 3 7 19 25 60 −35 16 Relegated to National Division 1
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: Challenger Pro League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away matches won; 6) Away goal difference; 7) Away goals made.[8]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated; (X) Assured of at least the promotion play-offs, but may get promoted directly.
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c d Ineligible for promotion or promotion play-offs; cannot be relegated unless a U23 team from the same wing (ACFF/VV) finishes in the top three of Division 1.
  2. ^ After already having been penalized with one point for the coming 2026-27 season, on 3 March 2026 RWDM Brussels was also penalized three points with immediate effect for not being able to prove that certain debts had been paid before the deadline of 2 March 2026.[6]
  3. ^ For not complying with the rules of financial stability, in February 2025 it was announced that Francs Borains were to be deducted 1 point from the start of the 2025–26 season.[7]

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each round, with postponed matches and points deductions included only when they occur. Teams with fewer matches played are shown with their position underlined, with each line representing one fewer match.

  • Midway through the previous season, Francs Borains was penalized one point for not complying with financial fair-play.[7]
  • The match between Jong Genk and RSCA Futures of 8 November (matchday 13) was postponed to 9 December (between matchdays 16 and 17) as Jong Genk had four players selected for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[9]
  • On 15 February 2026 (matchday 25), the match between Jong KAA Gent and Olympic Charleroi was stopped after 53 minutes at a score of 1–1 due to excessive snow.[10] The day after, it was decided the match was to be continued from minute 53 and will be played on 24 February 2026, between matchdays 26 and 27.[11]
  • On 21 February 2026 (matchday 26), the match between Seraing and Kortrijk was postponed for safety reasons as there was a neighbouring restaurant on fire.[12] A few weeks later, during matchday 29, Kortrijk was awarded a 0–3 forfeit away win as Seraing was deemed not to have done enough to allow the match to be played.[13]
  • On 3 March 2026 (between matchdays 27 and 28), RWDM Brussels was penalized three points for being unable to prove payment of debts.[6]

Colored cells indicate promotion (green), participation in promotion play-offs (yellow), or relegation play-offs (red). Note that U23 teams are ineligible for promotion and playoffs, and the coloring is adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, these teams can only relegate if at the same time another U23 team from the same wing (ACFF or VV) qualifies for promotion from the league below, or if the mother club is relegated from the level above, in which case the U23 would automatically take up one of the relegation spots as U23 teams always have to remain at least one level below their mother club. In the table below, it is assumed that the U23 teams will stay up, and hence the two lowest non-U23 teams are assumed to be relegated.

Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Beveren3222111111111111111111111111111111
Kortrijk21112222222222222222222222222222
Beerschot56654333333333333333443334333333
Lommel7354344445655666644433465344444
Patro Eisden Maasmechelen61143777566777545467655554665555
RFC Liège16937666654444454576566646556666
Eupen4596555777566777755787777787777
Jong KAA Gent[a]17711998999998881010108878889878888
Lokeren1314161613151515121310101110989899999989991099
Lierse151612141511121111121313101111989101010111111111111109101010
Seraing12151512121414141515151515151515151515151514151515151513121111
RWDM Brussels8410888988888991211111111111110101010101011111212
Francs Borains10889111313131414141414121012121212121212121212121314141413
Jong Genk[a]11131410101011121310111112131314131313131315131413141415151514
RSCA Futures[a]14101113141210101011121213141413141414141413141314131212131315
Club NXT[a]9121315161616161616161617171717171717171716161616161616161616
Olympic Charleroi17171717171717171717171716161616161616161617171717171717171717
  1. ^ a b c d ineligible for promotion and playoffs. Can only be relegated if they finish in a relegation spot, and at the same time, in the 2025–26 Division 1, a U23 team from the same wing (ACFF or VV) qualifies for promotion.
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: vbal4.be

Results

Home \ Away BEV KOR BEE LOM PEM RFC EUP GNT LOK LIE SER RWD FRB GNK AND NXT OLC
Beveren 12 Apr 4–2 2–0 2–1 4–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 3–2 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–0
Kortrijk 1–3 1–0 4–2 2–0 3–1 1–0 3 Apr 3–2 1–0 1–0 17 Apr 2–0 4–1 5–2 1–1 3–1
Beerschot 1–1 1–2 17 Apr 0–2 3–0 1–1 1–2 1–0 1–0 0–0 1–1 4–1 1–0 4–2 2–1 2–1
Lommel 2–2 1–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 3–2 2–0 3–1 4–3 0–1 4 Apr 3–1 1–2 2–0 11 Apr 3–0
Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 1–4 1–0 0–4 0–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–2 1–0 17 Apr 4–4 0–0 2–1 1–0
RFC Liège 1–2 2–0 0–1 1–0 0–2 17 Apr 0–2 0–1 2–1 2–0 4–3 3–1 5–0 1–1 3–2 5 Apr
Eupen 1–2 1–0 10 Apr 1–2 0–0 2–0 4–0 1–1 0–1 0–0 2–2 1–1 2–1 1–0 2–1 2–2
Jong KAA Gent 2–4 2–3 1–1 2–2 2–1 12 Apr 2–1 1–3 0–0 3–1 0–2 1–0 0–0 0–1 3–2 1–3[a]
Lokeren 1–2 1–1 0–0 2–3 1–1 0–1 3–3 4–1 2–0 10 Apr 1–3 2–2 2–2 4–2 3–2 1–1
Lierse 0–2 0–0 1–2 4–4 1–2 1–2 3–2 1–3 17 Apr 0–1 2–0 4 Apr 2–1 1–0 2–1 0–0
Seraing 17 Apr 0–3 FF[b] 1–2 2–3 5 Apr 2–2 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 1–2 1–0 3–1
RWDM Brussels 0–2 1–2 0–1 3–3 2–4 0–3 2–2 1–0 1–2 1–1 5–0 1–3 1–1 11 Apr 3–1 3–3
Francs Borains 0–2 4–1 0–2 0–0 2–0 2–0 0–3 2–0 1–0 0–1 0–0 0–0 11 Apr 3–3 1–0 0–1
Jong Genk 1–2 1–3 0–2 0–2 1–4 2–0 2–0 17 Apr 3 Apr 2–3 0–0 0–2 3–1 3–2[c] 0–0 3–4
RSCA Futures 4 Apr 1–3 0–2 2–2 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–2 1–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–0 2–1 2–2 17 Apr
Club NXT 2–2 2–0 3–1 0–2 2–3 0–2 4 Apr 0–4 1–2 0–1 1–0 0–1 1–1 1–2 0–5 1–1
Olympic Charleroi 0–5 0–3 1–2 1–2 0–0 1–1 0–1 1–4 0–1 11 Apr 2–4 0–2 0–3 1–2 0–2 0–3
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: Flashscore
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ Match stopped on 15 February 2026 at a score of 1–1 with 53 minutes played due to excessive snow. The match was continued two weeks later on 27 February 2026.
  2. ^ Match initially postponed on 21 February 2026 due to a fire at a neighbouring restaurant. Later, Kortrijk was awarded a forfeit win as Seraing had not done enough to allow the match to be played.[13]
  3. ^ The match between Jong Genk and RSCA Futures of 8 November (matchday 13) was postponed to 9 December (between matchdays 16 and 17) as Jong Genk had four players selected for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[9]


Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 6 November 2025.[14]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Lennart Mertens Beveren 8
2 Gaëtan Robail RWDM Brussels 7
3 Thierry Ambrose Kortrijk 6
Oumar Diouf RFC Liège
Lucas Schoofs Lommel
6 Aaron Bibout Jong Genk 5
Isaac Nuhu Eupen
Leandro Rousseau Patro Eisden Maasmechelen
Jannes Van Hecke Beveren
10 Bryan Adinany Lierse 4
Mohamed Salah Lommel
Ralf Seuntjens Lommel
Usman Simbakoli RWDM Brussels
Yentl Van Genechten Eupen
3 goals (14 players)
2 goals (28 players)
1 goal (63 players)
1 own goal (5 players)
2 own goals (1 player)

Number of teams by provinces

Number of teams Province or region Team(s)
3 East Flanders Beveren, Jong KAA Gent and Lokeren
Liège Eupen, RFC Liège and Seraing
Limburg Jong Genk, Lommel and Patro Eisden Maasmechelen
2 Antwerp Beerschot and Lierse
Brussels RSCA Futures and RWDM Brussels
Hainaut Francs Borains and Olympic Charleroi
West Flanders Club NXT and Kortrijk

Notes

See also

References

  1. ^ "Voetbalclub RWDM verandert van naam en wordt opnieuw Daring Brussels" (in Dutch). vrt.be. 6 June 2025.
  2. ^ "De gulden middenweg? RWDM gaat na heel wat ophef voor RWDM Brussels als nieuwe naam" (in Dutch). sporza.be. 7 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Back to the roots… KSC Lokeren" (in Dutch). sporting.be. 1 July 2025.
  4. ^ ""1B-competitie is niet eerlijk nu": Seraing, Francs Borains en Lokeren vechten hervorming aan" ["1B-league is now unfair": Seraing, Francs Borains and Lokeren appeal reform] (in Dutch). www.proleague.be. 1 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Tweedeklassers stappen nu ook naar BAS tegen competitiehervorming: "Heel jammer dat het zo moet lopen"" [Second division teams are now also approaching BAS against competition reform: "It's a shame it has to end this way."] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 1 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Alweer extrasportieve tik voor RWDM: club moet 3 punten inleveren na tussentijdse controle Licentiecommissie" (in Dutch). sporza. 3 March 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Les Francs Borains sanctionnés d'un point de pénalité et piégés au jeu de la recapitalisation : "Certains peuvent compter sur une manne providentielle…"" (in French). rtbf. 14 February 2025.
  8. ^ "General terms Belgian competition" (PDF). kbvb.be. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  9. ^ a b https://www.proleague.be/nieuws/wk-u17-uitstel-van-jong-genk-rsca-futures-naar-9-december
  10. ^ https://www.kaagent.be/nl/nieuws/15-02-2026/jong-kaa-gent-olympic-charleroi-gestaakt
  11. ^ https://www.proleague.be/nieuws/jong-gent-olympic-charleroi-hervat-op-24-februari
  12. ^ https://sporza.be/nl/2026/02/21/seraing-kortrijk-valt-in-het-water-door-brandje-in-het-restaurant-van-het-stade-du-pairay~1771687965854/
  13. ^ a b https://www.proleague.be/nieuws/forfaitnederlaag-voor-rfc-seraing-tegen-kv-kortrijk
  14. ^ "Spelersstatistieken". proximus11.be. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
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