Prince William Attends FA Cup Final After Showing Off His Soccer Fandom at Aston Villa Game

The Prince of Wales isn’t only a soccer fan, but he’s also the patron of the Football Association, the sport’s governing body in England

Prince William at the Emirates FA Cup Final match on May 16.Credit : Alex Pantling – The FA/The FA via Getty 

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Prince William stepped out to attend the 2026 Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London
The Prince of Wales appeared in an official capacity as patron of the FA, soccer’s governing body in England
The royal heir is a famously loyal soccer fan, especially rooting for Aston Villa

Prince William is back in the soccer stands for a major match.

The Prince of Wales, 43, attended the 2026 Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, May 16, which saw Chelsea face off against Manchester City.

While the royal heir is famously a huge fan of the sport, he’s at the game in an official capacity.

William is the patron of the Football Association, the sport’s governing body in England. He regularly attends big games, including the FA Cup final, and awards the trophy to the winners.

Prince William at the Emirates FA Cup Final match on May 16.Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty 

Prince William paid close attention to the game, but he really lets his fandom show when supporting his favorite team: Aston Villa. Earlier this month, the royal was in the stands in Birmingham, candidly cheering as Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest in a semifinal game that advanced them to the final of the Europa League.

Aston Villa will play the final in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 20.

The day after the Aston Villa outing, Prince William and Kate Middleton attended a Buckingham Palace garden party, where the heir admitted to having “bags under the eyes” from his late night, according to The Telegraph.

Prince William has passed his fandom down to their three children —  Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. Princess Kate said at the garden party that the kids wanted to join their dad at the Thursday night game, but they made a compromise. “We let them stay up and watch it,” she told guests, according to the outlet.

Prince William at the Emirates FA Cup Final match on May 16.Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty 

The Princess of Wales added that her family isn’t afraid to be loud when watching Aston Villa games on TV.

“They all make so much noise, even Louis,” she said, per The Telegraph.

Prince William at the Emirates FA Cup Final match on May 16.Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty 

Prince William has brought his children to some soccer games and has spoken about his rituals when he is watching at home.

“If we’re not doing very well, I start moving round the house quite quickly, and I put the children in different positions hoping that’s going to change our luck,” William told The Sun in March 2025.