There were four sports at the inaugural event in 1989: athletics, basketball, association football and judo.

Handisport, handball, table tennis and wrestling were added to the competition programme in 1994.

None of these four sports featured at the 1997 Jeux de la Francophonie, and boxing and tennis were introduced to the programme instead.

The Jeux de la Francophonie are distinctive, if not unique, among international multi-sport competitions for including competitive cultural performances and exhibitions, complete with gold, silver, and bronze medals for winning participants.

The Belgian team is restricted to athletes from the French-speaking areas of the country.