Union Saint-Gilloise and Anderlecht meet in the Belgian Cup final on Thursday at 15:00 at Roi Baudouin stadium, and Brussels authorities are warning supporters to expect a crowded, tightly managed journey to the Heysel area. With both sets of fans heading in from the south of the city, the main roads and public transport links around the stadium are set for delays, detours and closures that will shape the day before the first whistle.
Metro line 6 will run more frequently for the final and ends at Roi Baudouin, but the city has split the crowd flow: Union fans are being told to get off at Houba-Brugmann, while Anderlecht supporters should use Heysel. Later in the afternoon, Roi-Baudouin station will be fully shut from 16:30 to 19:00, and at Heysel exits 1 and 5 will be closed from 09:30 to 19:00. Metro line 2 will follow the line 6 route to the north-west to double the number of trains serving the stadium area.
Bus and tram passengers face their own changes. Bus line 83 will be rerouted all day and skip every stop between Esplanade and Tircher, including Palfijn, Améthyste, Roi Baudouin, Heysel and Palais 12, with fans told to get off at Panorama. Tram line 9 will not serve the Roi Baudouin terminus until 20:00, and fans heading to the stadium have been told to use Stade, Heysel or Esplanade instead.
The city is also directing supporters toward separate fan zones to keep the match-day movement under control. Union Saint-Gilloise fans are expected to get off at Stuyvenbergh earlier in the day and make their way to the club zone on Place Louis Steens, near the Atomium. Anderlecht’s fan zone will be set up closer to Heysel metro station along Boulevard du Centenaire, while the club will also show the final live to supporters at Lotto Park in its home municipality.
The split arrangements underline how much of the day will be shaped by crowd control rather than football alone. Saint-Gilles decided against placing a big screen on Place Maurice Van Meenem, citing prohibitive costs and the public holiday on Thursday, leaving the two club zones and the stadium itself as the main gathering points for a rivalry that is likely to dominate Brussels from late morning into the evening.
