The Belgian Pro League is, in some regards, wide open this season. While Union St Gilloise and Club Brugge are favourites to battle for the title, Sint Truiden have forced their way into the mix. No on expects the Canaries to be able to mount a title challenge once the play-offs start, but they are showing sides that 2026 is the year to twist, rather than stick, in the Belgian Pro League.
Why this year? Because outside of Club Brugge and Union, the traditional clubs cannot be trusted. Anderlecht and Gent are inconsistent, Genk, Antwerp and Standard Liege are all struggling, which has left the race for the top six wide open. KV Mechelen have found themselves in the top six, and some other sides may be looking at the state of the league and thinking this is their best chance of getting into Europe.
Those teams that need to twist, in my opinion, are Mechelen and Charleroi. Both are in the tier below the so called โbigโ teams in Belgian football, and they should be ready to capitalise on the other sides misfortunes. Mechelen should be looking at this January transfer window as a chance to really cement their place in that top six and battle for European football. That they are unwilling to sell Lion Lauberbach until a replacement has been found and signed is a good sign that they are thinking of maximising their chances of having a successful season, rather than cashing on a player who is having a good campaign. They know that, without a physical striker like Lauberbach, their style of play and therefore chances of staying in the top six would take a hit.
Charleroi, likewise, should see the window as a chance to force their way in. After winning the final ticket to European football last season, the ambition should be a return at the end of this year. The side comfortably beat Antwerp to make it six games unbeaten. Despite losing Rik de Mil to Gent a few months ago, the side have now put together the best form of the 2025/2026 Belgian Pro League season. Perhaps, losing their head coach has lit a fire inside the players. For the first time in a while, Charleroi have done well in the transfer windows. Patrick Pflucke, signed from Mechelen where he felt he wasnโt getting enough first team football, has been a fantastic signing. The winger has six assists so far this season, alongside three goals. Players who have been with the club for some years are also coming to the fore, such as Parfait Guiagon and Yacine Titraoui. The former leads the side with seven goals in the Belgian Pro League this season. With just a few days left of the window, is there a player that the Zebras could pursue that could really elevate them this season? Or should the goal be to get through the next month without losing one of their key players.
Sint Truiden have been incredibly active in January. Andrew Ferrari, who had performed well off the bench, has joined Sporting Gijon on loan. Yet they already have a replacement in RFC Liegeโs Oumar Diouf. The 22-year-old Senegalese striker announced himself in the Belgian Pro League with a debut goal to help the side overcome RAAL. Poor asset management saw Rein Van Helden join Royal Antwerp for a fee of just around โฌ1.5m. With a small release clause, it was just a matter of when they would lose a key player like Van Helden. Yet, rather than sit on their laurels, the Canaries immediately brought in a replacement in Loic Mbe Soh from Beerschot. Add to that the signing of exciting young Japanese striker Shion Shinkawa and its safe to say that Sint Truiden are looking to really take advantage of their great campaign so far.
Westerlo will likely be the most frustrated side looking at the lay of the land. In the past two seasons, head coaches have been sacked for not finishing higher in the Belgian Pro League. Perhaps it is overly ambitious owners and poor recruitment instead of the head coach. This year they remain closer to the bottom four than to the top six. A better start and more consistent form could have seen them as one side primed to take advantage of other sides mediocrity. This is especially the case when we consider that, after just one win in five games, the gap to the top six is only seven points.
With only one side able to be relegated this season, the 2025/2026 Belgian Pro League was always going to be the โsafestโ one for the 16 teams. Even if you finish bottom of the table, you have a second shot at redemption with the play-down against the side who wins the play-off in the Challenger Pro League. Many sides will be looking at this season already as a lost chance to show some ambition. Even this past weekend, Anderlecht drew at home to Dender, Genk drew at home to Cercle Brugge and both Antwerp and Standard Liege lost (albeit the former to Gent).
Every league needs a season where teams outside of the traditional โbigโ clubs shake things up. The 2025/2026 Belgian Pro League is certainly delivering on that.
GBeNeFNย |ย Ben Jackson
