Brussels watches football in two crowds. The international set in the EU quarter packs the Irish pubs for the Premier League, the Champions League and the Six Nations, while the center fills a clutch of big sports bars for everything from the Belgian league to the NFL. A real matchday bar here clears four things: enough screens that no seat misses the goal, the channel access to find any match, the sound on the game that matters, and a crowd that turns a goal into a roar. These ten get it right, from a 60-screen megabar to the quiet local cafe.
The big-screen sports bars
These rooms lead on screen count and breadth, so when a Premier League fixture clashes with a Champions League tie you can follow both without leaving.
01
The Big Game
BourseEuro60 Screens / 2 Floors
Steps from the Bourse and the Grand Place, The Big Game spreads 60 HD screens over two floors, including one giant screen, and carries every conceivable competition with an NFL red zone on top. The longest happy hour in the city runs early, and around midnight the floors turn to dancefloors. It is the catch-all for any match.
Game-day tip: The room for clashing kickoffs. Sixty screens, one giant, and NFL red zone for the American games.
02
Roosters
Rue GretryEuroHD Screens / Every Angle
On Rue Gretry in the center, Roosters runs HD screens you can read from every angle, carrying live sport from Formula One to football over Belgian beers and signature cocktails. It is the polished central option, a room that keeps the headline match on with the sound up and a drinks list a notch above the pub standard.
Game-day tip: A central, polished option. Screens from every angle and a stronger drinks list than the pubs.
03
Fat Boys Sports Pub
Place du LuxembourgEuroScreens From Every Seat
Fat Boys is the long-running American sports pub by Place du Luxembourg, packed with TVs and large screens you can see from every single spot in the room. The focus is burgers, wings and ribs, and it is the city's reliable home for the NFL as well as the European football weekend.
Game-day tip: The home for the NFL and a plate of wings. You can see a screen from every seat in the room.
Brussels sports bars: the full guideBeyond matchday, our Brussels sports bar guide covers every venue worth knowing across the season.
See Brussels sports barsThe EU-quarter Irish pubs
In the EU quarter, the Irish pubs are the international crowd's reliable home for English commentary and a partisan matchday.
04
O'Reilly's Irish Pub
Place de la BourseEuroAll Major Sport Live
O'Reilly's by the Bourse shows all the major sporting events live, the Premier League, the Champions League and the Six Nations rugby, across multiple big screens in a loud Irish-pub room. It is a central anchor for a matchday, with the sound on the headline fixture and a crowd that comes for the football and the rugby alike.
Game-day tip: A central anchor for any matchday. Multiple big screens and the Six Nations rugby in full.
05
EU QuarterEuroOldest Irish Pub, 1989
The oldest Irish pub in Brussels, established in 1989, the James Joyce sits in an Art Nouveau house between the Squares and Cinquantenaire Park, with screens for football, darts and rugby and a friendly international crowd. It is the room for a relaxed match among regulars rather than a big-screen crush.
Game-day tip: A relaxed room for a match among regulars. Football, darts and rugby in a historic setting.
06
Kitty O'Shea's
Boulevard CharlemagneEuroMajor Leagues Streamed
Kitty O'Shea's on Boulevard Charlemagne streams the most exciting games of all the major leagues in a friendly, welcoming room, an EU-quarter Irish pub that keeps the sound on the headline match. It is a steady weekday and weekend option for the Premier League crowd that works nearby.
Game-day tip: A reliable EU-quarter pub for the Premier League. The sound goes on the headline match.
07
The Wild Geese
Avenue LivingstoneEuroChampions League / Food
Steps from the European Commission, the Wild Geese is an Irish gastro pub that runs the big events from Champions League nights to rugby across numerous screens, with acoustic live music and seasonal food. It is the choice for a match with a proper meal and enough space to settle in with friends.
Game-day tip: The pick for a match with a real meal. Plenty of screens and space for a group.
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Local rooms and a terrace
Away from the Irish circuit, these widen the map with a European-league pub, a terrace for a warm-evening kickoff and the local crowd's go-to.
08
Michael Collins Irish Pub
Rue du BailliEuroRugby and Football
On Rue du Bailli in Ixelles, Michael Collins leans into rugby and football, showing matches from leagues across Europe in a classic Irish-pub room. It draws a mix of locals and regulars for the headline fixtures, a comfortable south-of-center option away from the EU-quarter crowd.
Game-day tip: An Ixelles option for European-league football and rugby. A calmer room than the center.
09
The Network
Mont des ArtsEuroTerrace / Art Deco
The Network near Mont des Arts pairs an Art Deco room with a strong terrace, a wide drinks list and varied food, and puts the football on for a central crowd. The terrace makes it the call for a warm-evening kickoff, the place to watch the match in the open with a meal on the table.
Game-day tip: The call for a warm-evening kickoff. The terrace is the draw when the weather holds.
10
Chez Jacques
IxellesEuroLocal Football Crowd
Flagged by the local beer guide Dropt as a Brussels football favorite, Chez Jacques keeps a dedicated following among the city's match-watchers, with multiple screens and a strong Belgian beer selection. It is the local-crowd room rather than an expat pub, the choice for a match among Brussels regulars.
Game-day tip: The local-crowd choice over the expat pubs. Multiple screens and a deep Belgian beer list.
Where to watch the Premier LeagueOur Premier League guide covers the bars that get the English match right, in Brussels and beyond.
Read the guideHow we picked these bars
We rank Brussels football bars on the things that decide whether you enjoy the match: screen count and sightlines, whether the sound goes on the game you came for, which competitions each room reliably carries, the crowd, and how each handles a big European night. Every bar here was cross-checked against its own current listing and at least one independent source, including Visit Brussels, Yelp and Dropt. For the wider picture, see our pillar guide to the best bars for watching the game, our ranking of the best cities for sports bars, and the Brussels sports bar hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which Brussels bar has the most screens for football?
The Big Game by the Bourse leads on scale, with 60 HD screens spread over two floors including one giant screen, and an NFL red zone on top. It carries every competition at once, which makes it the catch-all when several matches clash on the same afternoon.
Where do expats watch the Premier League in Brussels?
The EU-quarter Irish pubs are the expat favorites. O'Reilly's by the Bourse, Kitty O'Shea's on Boulevard Charlemagne, the James Joyce and the Wild Geese near the European Commission all keep English commentary on the headline match across multiple screens.
Where can I watch the NFL in Brussels?
Fat Boys Sports Pub by Place du Luxembourg is the long-running American sports pub, with screens from every seat and a kitchen of burgers, wings and ribs. The Big Game also runs an NFL red zone across its 60 screens, so the late American kickoffs are covered.
Which Brussels bar is best for a quieter match or a local crowd?
The James Joyce and Michael Collins in Ixelles offer a calmer Irish-pub room than the center, while Chez Jacques draws a local Belgian football crowd rather than an expat one. For a warm-evening kickoff, The Network near Mont des Arts puts the match on a terrace.
