The Belgian Cup (French: Coupe de Belgique;[a] Dutch: Beker van België;[b] German: Belgischer Fußballpokal[c]) is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Royal Belgian FA.

The winners are awarded a challenge cup and qualify for the UEFA Europa League and the Belgian Supercup.

In West and East Flanders, notably Bruges and Ghent, football was also becoming more and more loved.

Having already won the national league three weeks before, the team became the first double winners in Belgian football history.

Because teams have to play a fewer number of games compared to the national league to get a European ticket, the Belgian Cup was nicknamed 'The quickest way to Europe'.

This meant the top teams grew more interest in the national cup, which increased the prestige of the competition.

Due to all of this, the traditional big three of Belgian football (FC Bruges, RSC Anderlecht and Standard Liège) would win the cup the most times.

[1] KV Mechelen won the cup in 2019 as well as becoming champions in the First Division B, winning the small double.

Due to being involved in a fraud scandal, the club wasn't allowed to enter the European competitions for a year.

Their European ticket was passed on to Standard Liège based on the standings in the Jupiler Pro League.

This meant that, of all teams, losing finalists KAA Gent got into the UEFA Europa League at the very last minute.

During these years, the final was played four times in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium in Anderlecht, twice in the Olympiastadium in Bruges and once in the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in Liège.

The Dutch side reads "Beker van België wisseltrofee aangeboden door dagblad Les Sports", the French side "Coupe de Belgique challenge offert par le journal Les Sports".

Both statements have the same meaning and translate to "Belgian Cup challenge offered by newspaper Les Sports".

The editions before World War 1 were known as the Kings' Cup (Beker van de Koning in Dutch, Coupe du Roi in French).

In January 2008, the Belgian FA announced Cofidis had bought the naming rights for 300,000 euros.

After Club Bruges won their 11th cup in 2015, Croky became the new main sponsor of the tournament.

Beginning in July or August, the competition proceeds as a knockout tournament throughout, consisting of eight rounds, a semi-final and then a final.

A system of byes ensures clubs above Level 5 enter the competition at later stages.

The months in which rounds are played are traditional, with exact dates subject to each year's calendar.

(single leg) The broadcasting rights for the Croky Cup are held by Eleven Sports.

Due to the RBFA's obligation that broadcast cup games are free to watch, Eleven doesn't air the matches on their own platforms.