Belgian Cup

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The Belgian Cup is the main knockout football competition for top-flight clubs in Belgium. It was founded in 1911 and is run by the Belgian Football Association.

The Belgian Cup is contested among 294 teams in the country. It begins with six rounds. The first round features Level 5 to Level 9 clubs from the provincial leagues who are 112 in number. The winners progress to the second round to compete with Level 4 clubs. A total of 80 clubs participate in this round.

In the third round of the Belgian Cup, 48 clubs, comprising of teams from Level 3 and winners from the previous round contest to progress to the fourth round. Winners from the fourth round join Level 2 clubs in the fifth round and the process is repeated in the sixth round where Level 1 clubs are introduced into the competition.

The round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and final stages follow respectively. The eventual winner of the Belgian Cup Final qualifies for the group stage of the next season's UEFA Europa League.

All the matches are played for 90 minutes. Thirty minutes of extra time are played if the match ends in a draw. If the scores are still level after 120 minutes, the winner is decided via a penalty shoot-out.