2025–26 Challenger Pro League

Challenger Pro League
Season2025–26
2026–27 →

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 automatically promoted to Belgian Pro League and promotion play-off winner will be matches against 16th place in top tier, no teams were directly relegated due to expand 18 teams from 2026–27.

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]

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 Kortrijk 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6 Promoted to Pro League
2 Beveren 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 6
3 Lommel 2 1 1 0 6 3 +3 4 Qualification for promotion play-offs
4 RWDM Brussels 2 1 1 0 6 4 +2 4
5 Eupen 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 4
6 Beerschot 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 4
7 Jong KAA Gent 2 1 0 1 4 2 +2 3 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
8 Francs Borains 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 3[a]
9 RFC Liège 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
10 RSCA Futures 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 3 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
11 Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 3
12 Club NXT 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 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
13 Jong Genk 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0
14 Lokeren 2 0 0 2 2 5 −3 0
15 Seraing 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 0
16 Lierse 2 0 0 2 0 3 −3 0 Relegated to National Division 1
17 Olympic Charleroi 2 0 0 2 1 7 −6 0
Updated to match(es) played on 17 August 2025. 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.[4]
Notes:
  1. ^ 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.[3]

Positions by round

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

  • Mid-way through the previous season, Francs Borains was penalized one point for not complying with financial fair-play.[3]

Colored cells refer to being promoted (green), 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. For reasons of simplicity, U23 teams in relegation spots are colored as if they cannot relegate.

  1. ^ a b c d ineligible for promotion and playoffs. Can only relegate if they finish in 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 17 August 2025. Source: vbal4.be

Results

Home \ Away KOR BEV LOM RWD EUP BEE GNT FRB RFC AND PEM NXT GNK LOK SER LIE OLC
Kortrijk 16 Aug
Beveren 15 Aug
Lommel 16 Aug
RWDM Brussels 3–3
Eupen 2–0
Beerschot 16 Aug
Jong KAA Gent 16 Aug
Francs Borains 15 Aug
RFC Liège 17 Aug
RSCA Futures 1–3
Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 2–1
Club NXT 1–1
Jong Genk
Lokeren 16 Aug
Seraing 1–2
Lierse 0–2
Olympic Charleroi 1–4
Updated to match(es) played on 10 August 2025. Source: Flashscore
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.


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
2 Antwerp Beerschot and Lierse
Brussels RSCA Futures and RWDM Brussels
Hainaut Francs Borains and Olympic Charleroi
Limburg Lommel and Patro Eisden Maasmechelen
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. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "General terms Belgian competition" (PDF). kbvb.be. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
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