Brussels
Brussels speaks French, Dutch and a dozen other languages, and its small-sided teams do the same. Foot en salle, zaalvoetbal and plain 5-a-side all meet in the MCC Major Champions Cup in 2027. The Brussels tournament has three grounds, North, East and South, and each Pitch Champion wins $20,000 and a place at the Belgian Country Championship.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Brussels with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
North Brussels
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
East Brussels
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
South Brussels
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
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Foot en salle, zaalvoetbal and the street game
Brussels plays its football in two languages at once. Francophone teams book salles de sport for foot en salle, Dutch-speaking clubs run zaalvoetbal competitions, and street courts across the city serve whoever turns up. Anderlecht and Union Saint-Gilloise give the city its club loyalties, but the weekly game is between colleagues, neighbours and school friends.
MCC asks little beyond that. A squad of up to nine, two halves of fifteen minutes on a stop clock and a short group stage that ends in a playoff and, if level, penalties. Teams from any community in the city can enter.
North, East and South Brussels
The grounds follow the compass because the city does. North Brussels draws on Schaerbeek, Laeken and the districts around the canal. East Brussels covers the European quarter, Etterbeek and the Woluwe communes. South Brussels takes in Anderlecht, Forest, Saint-Gilles and Uccle. The Brussels metro, trams and buses reach all three zones, and most players know their own commune's sports hall already.
Brussels gets one venue per ground via the MCC pitch owner programme. The page announces each venue after its agreement is signed, and any ground still without one shows as open on the live cards for Brussels operators to apply.
Spring in Brussels and the Belgian championship
April and May bring mild but unsettled weather to Brussels: light rain, cool evenings, sunshine in patches. Play begins on 9 April 2027 and the group matches fill three weekends, 9 to 11, 16 to 18 and 23 to 25 April. The playoffs get going on 30 April, and 9 May is the day for the ground finals.
Antwerp's winners are the opposition when the Brussels Pitch Champions reach the Belgium Country Championship, 28 to 30 May 2027. Beyond it lie the continental stage and the World Final on 7 July 2027, and the prize money rises from $20,000 to $5,000,000.
How MCC differs from a Brussels one-day cup
Brussels has company tournaments and community cups, usually played in a day. MCC runs from 9 April to 9 May with the same published rules everywhere, and only amateurs play. Every team holds a Team License and names a Team President, and violence or abuse meets zero tolerance under the conduct policy.
The road out of Brussels
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Brussels
How does a team enter MCC in Brussels?
Register on this site and pick one of Brussels's three grounds: North Brussels, East Brussels, South Brussels. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Brussels?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Brussels grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Brussels?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Brussels team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Belgium title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Can a French-speaking or Dutch-speaking team enter in Brussels?
Yes, teams from every language community are welcome. The Brussels grounds run one tournament, and the format and rules are the same whether your squad plays foot en salle or zaalvoetbal back home.
Which Brussels ground suits teams from the European quarter?
East Brussels covers the European quarter and the Woluwe side of the city. Pick it if most of your squad lives or works there, since each ground runs a full round and nobody needs to cross the city.
Can a team from the Brussels suburbs enter?
Yes, as long as the team is amateur and picks one of the three grounds. A team from the edge of the Brussels region can choose whichever ground is easiest to reach on a weekday evening.
Which teams do Brussels winners meet next?
At the Belgium Country Championship, 28 to 30 May 2027, the Pitch Champions from the Brussels grounds face the champions from the Antwerp grounds. Whoever wins goes on to the continental stage of the tournament.
Also hosting in Belgium
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Brussels
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years