The Prince of Wales made another European trip in support of Aston Villa as he attended Tuesday’s Champions League match against Barcelona, this time joined by his son, Prince George.
William, 44, and the young prince were present at a rainy Spotify Camp Nou, where they met Barcelona president Joan Laporta before the hosts ran out 3-0 winners, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha among the scorers.
“FC Barcelona is honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince George to the Spotify Camp Nou,” the Spanish club posted on social media alongside a photo of Laporta with William. “Thank you for joining us for a special evening of Champions League football featuring your beloved Aston Villa.”
A lifelong Villa supporter, William has made a point of following the team in Europe whenever his schedule allows. In May he was in Istanbul to watch them lift the Europa League trophy with a 3-0 win over Freiburg. He and George were also in Paris last year for Villa’s Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain — the club’s first appearance in the competition since 1983. Closer to home, he was at Villa Park last month for the 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahçe.
William has previously explained his choice of club, telling the BBC in 2015 that he backed Villa at school because most of his friends supported bigger sides like Manchester United or Chelsea. “I didn’t really want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams,” he said. “I wanted to have a team that was more middle of the table; that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster moments.”
Under Unai Emery, Villa have enjoyed a rapid rise, returning to the Champions League in 2024 and winning the Europa League last season.