Prince William celebrated a historic night for his favorite soccer club, Aston Villa, after the team captured its first major European trophy in 44 years with a 3-0 victory over SC Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League final on May 20. The Prince of Wales traveled to Istanbul to watch Aston Villa compete at Besiktas Park, where the Birmingham-based side secured the title thanks in part to a decisive goal from Morgan Rogers in the 58th minute.
The triumph marked Aston Villa’s first major European trophy since winning the European Cup in 1982, the same year William was born. Videos shared online showed the prince celebrating enthusiastically in the stands throughout the match. In one clip, William smiled and gave a thumbs-up to a fellow supporter as Aston Villa moved closer to victory.
Before kickoff, William shared a message of support on social media. “Come on, Villa! Good luck in tonight’s Europa League final. UTV!” he wrote, using the club slogan meaning “Up the Villa!” He signed the message with “W.”
After the final whistle, the prince returned to social media to congratulate the club on its historic achievement. “Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!” he wrote.
Prince William and us are mates pic.twitter.com/STJXSzUumM
— Dan Rolinson (@DanRolinson) May 20, 2026
William also gave special recognition to Boubacar Kamara, who has been sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. “Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara, who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success,” William added.
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Photos later shared by Aston Villa on Instagram also captured Prince William smiling as he posed with a trophy following the club’s historic victory.
Prince William Continues His Public Support For Soccer
Prince William has regularly attended major soccer matches in recent weeks in both a personal and official capacity. Earlier this month, he attended Aston Villa’s 4 0 victory over Nottingham Forest on May 7, where he was seen singing along to “Sweet Caroline” with supporters as the club advanced toward the Europa League final.
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He later attended the 2026 Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London on May 16, where Chelsea faced Manchester City. As patron of The Football Association, William frequently appears at major soccer events across England and presents trophies at official competitions.
