Prince William is expected to travel to the United States to support England in the World Cup only if they reach the final match. The Prince of Wales, a dedicated football enthusiast, attended multiple Three Lions games in Germany during the 2024 Euros, even bringing Prince George to the tournament final in Berlin, where England faced Spain and lost 2-1.
It is rumored that William will not make the trip across the Atlantic for England’s group stage games but will only attend if they advance to the final on July 18 at the New Jersey Stadium. This would be England’s first World Cup final since 1966. Reports indicate that his attendance is contingent on England’s success in the tournament, given his role as a patron of the English Football Association. Kensington Palace has not confirmed William’s plans for the World Cup yet.
Despite initial speculations that William might visit the US in early July to coincide with the July 4 celebrations, the current delicate UK-US relations following criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer by Donald Trump have raised doubts about this possibility.
William has a history of missing World Cups, having not attended the tournaments in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018 due to scheduling conflicts. His absence in previous tournaments was attributed to his busy schedule, and it was suggested that arrangements might have been made if England had reached the final.
In 2014, William also did not attend the World Cup in Brazil, although Prince Harry was present at one of England’s group stage matches against Costa Rica. In 2023, despite England’s Lionesses reaching the World Cup final in Australia, William chose not to attend, opting to show support for the team in other ways due to the logistical challenges of traveling to Australia for a short period.
However, in the previous year, he traveled to Switzerland with Princess Charlotte to witness the Lionesses claim their second consecutive Euros title by defeating Spain in a penalty shoot-out in the final.