Belgian Football Association elects female president: ‘Want to win 2027 World Cup’

For the first time in its 128-year existence, the Belgian Football Association is led by a female president. Pascale Van Damme was unanimously elected today.

Van Damme was already working as an independent director at the RBFA. She succeeds Paul Van den Bulck, who tendered his resignation after just one year.

With Marianne van Leeuwen, the KNVB also has a female chairman for the first time since last year.

These are turbulent times for the Belgian Football Association. Two months ago, general manager Peter Bossaert was fired because he would have wrongly given himself a pay rise. Bossaert disagrees with his dismissal and has filed a lawsuit.

With the appointment of Van Damme, the football association hopes to be able to look to the future again. “It gives me great confidence that the entire board of directors and the executive committee want to turn the page together and continue to build the future of the RBFA with united forces,” says 54-year-old Van Damme in the union’s press release.

One of Van Damme’s priorities will be the growth of women’s football in Belgium. The spearhead is bringing in the organization of the 2027 World Cup. Belgium has applied together with the Netherlands and Germany.

Brazil, South Africa and a joint bid from Mexico and the US are also interested in organizing the event. FIFA will award the organization in May next year.

Other important topics that Van Damme will focus on are improving the quality of arbitration, the appointment of a new general director, further digitizing the RBFA and expanding the social role of the union.