Brussels

Belgium • Europe

Primary City: Brussels

Mayor of Brussels: Philippe Close (Socialist Party) (since 2017)

Primary State/Province: Brussels

Primary Language: French

Population: 2.9M

GDP: $211B • GDP per capita: $73,405

GAWC Class: 3

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata

Conurbations · Tier BFinance CapitalCulture CapitalSports MeccaRail HubOverperformer
#40

Global Rank

52.1

Power Score

Continental Metro

% of Country Score

45.5%

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National Capital

National capital of Belgium

▲

Largest City

Largest metro area in Belgium

Brussels metro area

50.85, 4.35
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Sport

Top Team

The single sporting franchise this metro is identified with.

RSC AnderlechtFootball/Soccer

From The Team That Wins the City. One pick per metro across 312 metros worldwide.

Walkable Elite Quarters

Neighborhoods that clear the dense, historic, walkable, elite residential test.

SablonIxelles (Châtelain)

From The Last of the Marylebones. A small qualifying set out of the full corpus.

Dimension Breakdown

Value and global rank across all 16 dimensions

Stands out for Cultural Events, Notable Museums & Landmarks, Top Universities, Hospitals, & Research.

Major League Teams/Venues↗7#T-62
Total Teams↗15#T-55
Major Sporting Events↗5#T-32
Major Companies↗20#T-61
Market Cap Score↗$416B#73
Cultural Events12#4
Universities↗4#T-79
Top Universities, Hospitals, & Research↗4#T-26
Notable Museums & Landmarks↗10#T-23
Ports, Exchanges & Infrastructure↗4#T-29
Airport Score↗4.0#T-63
Luxury Stars (Michelin)↗10.0#T-128
Metro Stations↗59#97
Commuter Rail Stations↗120#42
Train Hubs↗3#T-11
Skyscrapers1#T-233
World #1Top 5Outside top 5

Most similar metros

Closest profiles across all 16 dimensions
MunichGermany#41MadridSpain#19RomeItaly#45BarcelonaSpain#33LisbonPortugal#61BerlinGermany#30

Sports

Major League Teams/Venues

Football/Soccer • Belgium👑

RSC Anderlecht

Brussels • Level: 1

34 titles3 Cont.12 cupsDomestic leagues →

Football/Soccer • Belgium

Union St. Gilloise

Brussels • Level: 1

12 titles4 cupsDomestic leagues →

Football/Soccer • Belgium

Oud Heverlee Leuven

Leuven • Level: 1

No titlesDomestic leagues →
Notable Venues3 venues

Football/Soccer

King Baudouin Stadium

Brussels

Football/Soccer

Constant Vanden Stock Stadium

Brussels

Basketball

ING Arena

Brussels

Other Teams

Football/Soccer Teams1 team

Football/Soccer • Belgium

RSCA Futures

Brussels • Level: 2

Other Men’s Teams8 teams

Basketball • Int'l Basketball

Brussels Basketball

Brussels

Basketball • Int'l Basketball

Leuven Bears

Leuven

Field Hockey • Other Sports

Leopold

Uccle

Field Hockey • Other Sports

Oree

Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

Field Hockey • Other Sports

Pingouin

Nivelles

Field Hockey • Other Sports

Racing (field hockey)

Uccle

Field Hockey • Other Sports

Uccle Sport

Uccle

Field Hockey • Other Sports

Waterloo Ducks

Waterloo

Major Sporting Events

Annual Sporting Events1 event

AG Memorial Van Damme

Athletics

• Brussels

Championship Finals5 events

1985 European Cup Final

Football Final

1985 • Brussels

1974 European Cup Final

Football Final

1974 • Brussels

1972 European Championship Final

Football Final

1972 • Brussels

1966 European Cup Final

Football Final

1966 • Brussels

1958 European Cup Final

Football Final

1958 • Brussels

F1 Races2 events

Belgian Grand Prix

F1 Race

1974 • Nivelles-Baulers

Won by Emerson Fittipaldi (McLaren)

Belgian Grand Prix

F1 Race

1972 • Nivelles-Baulers

Won by Emerson Fittipaldi (Team Lotus)

Complete Event Timeline7 events

1985 European Cup Final

Championship Finals

1985 • Brussels

1974 European Cup Final

Championship Finals

1974 • Brussels

Belgian Grand Prix

F1 Races

1974 • Nivelles-Baulers

1972 European Championship Final

Championship Finals

1972 • Brussels

Belgian Grand Prix

F1 Races

1972 • Nivelles-Baulers

1966 European Cup Final

Championship Finals

1966 • Brussels

1958 European Cup Final

Championship Finals

1958 • Brussels

Championship History

Every major championship won by a team while it represented Brussels, across all sports, newest first. 3in total. Each links to the team and the competition's full honour roll.

RSC Anderlecht
1983· 1983-05-18
UEFA Cup
RSC Anderlecht
1978· 1978-05-03
Cup Winners Cup
RSC Anderlecht
1976· 1976-05-05
Cup Winners Cup

Top Companies

1Anheuser-Busch Inbev
$167B
Public
2KBC
$56B
Public
3UCB
$50B
Public
4ageas
$17B
Public
5Elia Group
$16B
Public
6D'Ieteren Group
$11B
Public
7GBL
$11B
Public
8Sofina
$10B
Public
9Financière de Tubize
$10B
Public
10Syensqo
$9B
Public
11Odoo
$8B
Unicorn
12KBC Ancora
$8B
Public

Total Market Cap: $416B across 20 companies

Source data as of August 1, 2026 (companiesmarketcap.com)

Cultural Assets

Cultural Events

Notable One-off Events

2022 NATO Summit

Brussels • International Summit

2021 NATO Summit

Brussels • International Summit

2018 NATO Summit

Brussels • International Summit

2017 NATO Summit

Brussels • International Summit

2014 40th G7 summit

Brussels • International Summit

2005 NATO Summit

Brussels • International Summit

1987 Eurovision Song Contest

Palais du Centenaire • Music Event

Heysel Stadium Disaster (1985)

Brussels • Historical Event

1958 Brussels World's Fair

Brussels • World Expo

1935 Brussels International Exposition

Brussels • World Expo

1910 Brussels International Exhibition

Brussels • World Expo

1897 Brussels International Exposition

Brussels • World Expo

Battle of Waterloo (1815)

Waterloo • Historical Event

Notable Museums & Landmarks

Museums & Galleries5 items

BOZAR

Brussels • Art

Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Brussels • Art

Atomium

Brussels • Cultural Heritage

Grand-Place

Brussels • Cultural Heritage

Royal Museum for Central Africa

Tervuren • Cultural Heritage

Performing Arts Venues2 items

Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR)

Brussels • Concert Hall

La Monnaie

Brussels • Opera House

Parks, Zoos & Theme Parks1 item

Cinquantenaire Park

Brussels • Park/Garden

Landmarks & Civic2 items

European Union Headquaters

Brussels • International Organization

NATO Headquaters

Brussels • International Organization

Sound of Brussels

#135 by artist origin · combined 14.2 (US 1.7 / UK 1.9) · signature decade 1960s · Full sound profile →

Top artists: The Singing Nun, Technotronic, Lost Frequencies

Number-one singles by Brussels artists2

Are You with Me

Lost Frequencies

UK2015

Dominique

The Singing Nun

US1963

Screen of Brussels

#95 by film pedigree · score 41.8 · 2 people in a century of top-grossing films and Oscar nominations · Full screen profile →

Leading figures: Audrey Hepburn, Bert Hamelinck

Education & Research

Top 2000 Universities4 entries
#105

KU Leuven

Leuven, Belgium

#238

Université catholique de Louvain

Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

#256

Université libre de Bruxelles

Brussels, Belgium

#436

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Brussels, Belgium

Top 250 Hospitals1 entry

UZ Leuven

Leuven • Hospital

Notable Infrastructure

Airport2 entries

Brussels Airport

Brussels • 2 - Major International

Brussels South Charleroi Airport

Brussels • 4 - Regional

Military Base1 entry

NATO HQ / SHAPE

Brussels • Military HQ

Notable Train Hubs3 entries

Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid

Brussels • Intercity Rail Hub

Bruxelles-Central/Brussel-Centraal

Brussels • Intercity Rail Hub

Bruxelles-Nord/Brussel-Noord

Brussels • Intercity Rail Hub

Metro System (59 stations)1 entry

Brussels Metro

Brussels • 59 stations

Suburban Rail (120 stations)1 entry

Brussels S Train

Brussels • 120 stations

Trade Venue1 entry

Brussels EXPO

Brussels • Trade Venue

Central Bank1 entry

National Bank of Belgium

Brussels • Central Bank

Luxury Hospitality

2-Star Michelin3 entries

Bon Bon

Brussels

Comme Chez Soi

Brussels

La Durée

Brussels

FTG 4-Star1 entry

Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Brussels