{"id":2456161,"date":"2026-06-12T11:21:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2456161"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:21:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:21:36","slug":"the-world-cups-biggest-royal-fans-how-monarchs-cheer-on-their-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-world-cups-biggest-royal-fans-how-monarchs-cheer-on-their-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"The World Cup’s Biggest Royal Fans: How Monarchs Cheer On Their Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially underway<\/strong>, and fans around the globe are already caught up in the excitement. This edition is especially historic, as Mexico, the United States, and Canada are sharing hosting duties for the first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With 104 matches and 48 national teams competing, World Cup<\/a> fever has spread across every corner of society. It\u2019s a time for celebration, for embracing the thrill, the uncertainty, the joy of a spectacular goal, and the dream of lifting soccer\u2019s most coveted trophy.<\/p>\n

Members of royal families around the world are no exception. Whether they\u2019re watching from the stadium stands or from their royal residences, they\u2019re proudly cheering on their national teams, just as they have during World Cups past.<\/p>\n

England is the birthplace of modern soccer. In 1863, London\u2019s Football Association established the first unified set of rules for the sport, laying the foundation for the game we know today. It\u2019s no surprise, then, that the British Royal Family embraces soccer with genuine passion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 Hulton Deutsch<\/span><\/div>
Bobby Moore receives the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy from the Queen of England after beating West Germany in the final in 1966.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Although England has tasted World Cup glory only once, in 1966, the royals remain steadfast supporters of the national team, even when it means enduring the infamous \u201cpenalty curse.\u201d As the English saying goes:\u00a0\u201cIf it goes to penalties, turn off the TV and spare yourself the heartbreak.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Prince\u00a9 Jean Catuffe<\/span><\/div>
Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, King Felipe VI of Spain, above from left Gareth Bale, UEFA General-Secretary Theodore Theodoridis, Luis Figo, Philipp Lahm, Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This year, Spain hopes to recapture the magic of its 2010 triumph in South Africa, when Vicente del Bosque\u2019s squad defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in the final. After that historic victory, King Juan Carlos<\/strong> hosted the players at the Royal Palace.<\/p>\n

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\"Queen\u00a9 Juan Naharro Gimenez<\/span><\/div>
Queen Sofia of Spain, Iker Casillas captain of Spain, Princess Leonor of Spain, Princess Sofia of Spain and Princess Letizia of Spain pose for photographs as King Juan Carlos of Spain receives the Spanish football team fresh from their victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in 2010<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

One particularly memorable image showed Princesses Leonor<\/a> and Sof\u00eda<\/a>, whose parents were still the Prince and Princess of Asturias at the time, wearing red team jerseys as goalkeeper Iker Casillas offered them the World Cup trophy. Leonor beamed with delight while Sof\u00eda gently reached out to touch it.<\/p>\n

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\"Princess\u00a9 Pool<\/span><\/div>
Princess Leonor of Spain and Princess Sofia of Spain stand next to the UEFA EURO 2012 trophy as King Juan Carlos I of Spain receives players of Spain’s victorious national football team at Zarzuela Palace on July 2, 2012 in Madrid, Spain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For the defeated Dutch side, the mood was very different. Then-Queen Beatrix<\/strong> traveled to Johannesburg to support her team and struggled to hide her disappointment. In fact, she reportedly couldn\u2019t bring herself to applaud when Spain lifted the trophy, a somewhat undiplomatic moment in a royal box. According to reports, King Juan Carlos later spoke with her to offer some consolation.<\/p>\n

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\"Crown\u00a9 MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN<\/span><\/div>
Crown Prince Frederik and former Danish coach and player Michael Laudrup vie for the ball during a show football match during the opening of the UEFA Euro 2020 fan zone ‘Football Village’ at Ofelia Plads in Copenhagen on June 11, 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Then-Prince Willem-Alexander<\/strong> and Princess M\u00e1xima Zorreguieta<\/strong> also wore their emotions on their sleeves. Dutch media closely followed the future king\u2019s visible frustration over several missed opportunities by Arjen Robben<\/strong>. M\u00e1xima, who was born in Argentina, was equally disappointed, yet she set an example of good sportsmanship by composing herself and congratulating the Spanish delegation with a smile. The gesture earned widespread praise.<\/p>\n

Of course, M\u00e1xima has experienced her share of soccer joy as well. Her beloved Argentina has won the World Cup three times, in 1978, 1986, and most recently in 2022, when Lionel Messi<\/a> led the team to victory over France in one of the tournament\u2019s most unforgettable finals.<\/p>\n

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\"Willem-Alexander,\u00a9 Koen van Weel – Pool<\/span><\/div>
Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands applaud prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Group C match between Netherlands and Ukraine at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on June 13, 2021 in Amsterdam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Recently, King Willem-Alexander<\/a> revealed on his podcast that he and M\u00e1xima have a standing agreement: whenever the Netherlands faces Argentina, M\u00e1xima supports the country she reigns over. If Argentina isn\u2019t playing the Dutch, both cheer for the Albiceleste. That agreement was put to the test during Qatar 2022, when Argentina and the Netherlands met in the quarterfinals. The match went to penalties, with Argentina prevailing 4-3. This time, however, no iconic photos emerged, as the royal couple watched the game privately.<\/p>\n

After a 28-year absence, Norway has returned to the World Cup in 2026. One major reason is Erling Haaland,<\/a> the prolific striker who has become one of European soccer\u2019s biggest stars. Standing nearly 6-foot-5, blessed with remarkable speed and extraordinary scoring ability, Haaland has earned the nickname \u201cThe Cyborg.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Crown\u00a9 Rune Hellestad – Corbis<\/span><\/div>
Crown Prince Haakon and Erling Braut Haaland play a friendly football match against Vivil IL at Skaugum Arena on June 13, 2022 in Skaugum, Norway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

While Norway\u2019s royal family generally maintains a low profile when it comes to sports, this year\u2019s tournament has sparked renewed enthusiasm. Crown Prince Haakon<\/a> has openly embraced his role as a devoted supporter of the national team. Last November, he attended Norway\u2019s qualifying match against Estonia alongside King Harald<\/strong>, Crown Princess Mette-Mari<\/a>t, and Prince Sverre Magnus<\/strong>. He also traveled to Milan to watch Norway face Italy. When Norway officially secured its World Cup berth, Haakon joined the players in the locker room, celebrating with songs and dance.<\/p>\n

Jordan, meanwhile, has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history. Queen Rania\u00a0<\/a>and King Abdullah II,<\/strong> a longtime sports enthusiast, celebrated the achievement with unmistakable pride. The atmosphere resembled a nationwide celebration, and both shared emotional messages on social media.<\/p>\n

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\"Ali\u00a9 NurPhoto<\/span><\/div>
Ali Olwan of Jordan receives the Golden Boot Award from Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan, after the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 final match between Jordan and Morocco at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on December 18, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe beginning of a new Jordanian dream! Congratulations to Jordan\u2019s national team on qualifying for the World Cup. We couldn\u2019t be prouder of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

King Frederik X\u00a0<\/strong>of Denmark is also known for his love of soccer. Long before ascending the throne in 2024, he regularly attended national team matches. His mother,\u00a0Queen Margrethe II<\/strong>, shares that passion and has often sent official messages of encouragement before major tournaments.<\/p>\n

One of the family\u2019s most memorable soccer moments came during the 1998 World Cup, when members of the royal family congratulated the Danish squad after its historic run to the quarterfinals. They\u2019ve also stood by the team through difficult moments, including the shocking collapse of Christian Eriksen<\/strong> during UEFA Euro 2020. Then-Crown Prince Frederik<\/strong> visited the team and publicly expressed his support and solidarity, a gesture that resonated deeply throughout Denmark.<\/p>\n

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\"Prince\u00a9 Richard Pelham<\/span><\/div>
Prince William, Prince of Wales and President of the FA, shakes hands with HM King Frederik X, King of Denmark, after the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Denmark and England at Frankfurt Arena on June 20, 2024 in Frankfurt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Despite all the enthusiasm of the Danish royal family, Denmark failed to qualify for this year\u2019s World Cup. Perhaps next time.<\/p>\n

For Belgium\u2019s royal family, soccer remains one of the country\u2019s great unifying passions. No one is surprised to see the royals passionately supporting the Red Devils. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde rarely miss opportunities to cheer on the national team, and cameras are always quick to capture their reactions, from moments of pure exhilaration to visible frustration.<\/p>\n

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\"Belgium's\u00a9 ERIC LALMAND<\/span><\/div>
Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium pose with Belgium’s team players at the Royal castle in Laeken, as Belgian national soccer team returns from the semi-final of the soccer World cup in Russia on July 15, 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

During Russia 2018, King Philippe closely followed Belgium\u2019s remarkable campaign, which ended with a third-place finish, the nation\u2019s best World Cup result to date. After the tournament, he formally welcomed the players and congratulated them personally. Stars Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne were among those in attendance.<\/p>\n

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\"The\u00a9 John Giles – PA Images<\/span><\/div>
The Prince of Wales takes a penalty during a visit to Newcastle United’s St James’ Park ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The ball is already rolling, and anticipation continues to build as the world\u2019s attention turns to soccer\u2019s grandest stage. For fans and royals alike, the dream of World Cup glory is very much alive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.hola.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially underway, and fans around the globe are already caught up in the excitement. This edition is especially historic, as Mexico, the United States, and Canada are sharing hosting duties for the first time.\u00a0 With 104 matches and 48 national teams competing, World Cup fever has spread across every […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2456162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[27155,386440],"class_list":["post-2456161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-royalty","tag-royals","tag-world-cup"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/The-World-Cups-Biggest-Royal-Fans-How-Monarchs-Cheer-On.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2456161"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2456163,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456161\/revisions\/2456163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2456162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2456161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2456161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2456161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}