Prince William, Passionate Soccer Fan, Is Now Embracing American Football, Too

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince William throws a pass at the NFL Foundation event in London.Photo:Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace

Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace

Prince Williamis ready for some football!

The event Tuesday highlighted how the NFL Foundation UK is using flag football to help change lives, according to Prince William’s office at Kensington Palace. NFL Flag — a fast-paced, inclusive and non-contact American football format — is a rapidly growing sport in the U.K., and will even make its debut in the Olympics in 2028, when the games head to Los Angeles.

Prince William attends an NFL Foundation event in London.Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace

At the royal engagement, William — a longtime and passionate sports fan — met with representatives from NFL UK and community partners from the Foundation to hear about the work the NFL is doing to help young people develop confidence and reach their potential through the power of sport. He then took part in flag football with young people from across the U.K., as well as NFL players including Louis Rees-Zammit, a Welsh athlete who plays for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, and Phoebe Schecter, GB Women’s Flag Football team captain.

“They’re learning, they’re having a good time, they’re enjoying themselves," former Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora tells PEOPLE of the young people who have developed an interest in flag football. “Being able to see that and be a part of that, hopefully they’re going to take the lessons from this onto the rest of their lives.”

Jason Bell, who played cornerback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and New York Giants, tells PEOPLE, “We love this game. It’s done so much for us. So when it’s exposed to other people, that’s very important.”

“We understand what being on a team, working out with other people, what that does for young people, especially in hard times," he adds. “That’s what the Foundation is supplying.”

Prince William throws a pass.Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace

The NFL Foundation UK launched in 2021 as part of the NFL’s international charitable endeavors, beginning with efforts in London and expanding to Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds through a partnership with the San Francisco 49ers and funding from Sport England.

The Foundation delivers flag football training and equipment to help young people from the ages of 12 to 20 “access positive pathways, using the power of sport to reach communities to help achieve positive outcomes for young people focused on education, employment, building inclusive communities and improving physical and mental wellbeing,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.

As Prince William continues to get introduced to American football, he’s been a fan of English football for a long time — a sport that is popularly known in the U.S. as soccer. The royal is president of the Football Association (the game’s governing body in England), a passionate Aston Villa fan and often posts about the sport on social media. The royal has even successfully introduced eldest sonPrince George, 11, to the sport, and cheering at matches has become a consistent father-son bonding activity for the two over the years.

The Prince of Wales with Prince George of Wales and Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow (right) in the stands during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham on April 8, 2023.Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty

As recently as Oct. 2, the Prince of Wales made a surprise appearance at Aston Villa’s game against German giants Bayern Munich at Villa Park, its home stadium in Birmingham. Prince William watched the match alongside friends Thomas van Straubenzee (who is one ofPrincess Charlotte’s godparents), Harry Aubrey-Fletcher (who is one ofPrince Louis’ godparents) and Edward van Cutsem, another royal family friend.

Prince William cheered, pumped his fists and gave a double thumbs up while watching the game earlier this month. “I’ve lost my voice,” he said after Aston Villa emerged victorious with a score of 1-0, according to theDaily Mail. “I can’t quite believe it.”

Prince William plays football in London.Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace

Prince William told theTelegraphin 2018 the origins of his Aston Villa fandom — and how it was born from a desire to root for the underdog. “A long time ago at school, I got into football big time,” he said at the time. “I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United or Chelsea fans, and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams.”

“I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments,” he added.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales speak with members of the Emergency Services during a visit to Southport Community Centre on Oct. 10, 2024 in Southport, England.Getty Images

Getty Images

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

As Prince William has faced a difficult year — both his wife,Kate Middleton, and his father,King Charles, were diagnosed with cancer in 2024 — a close source previously told PEOPLE thathis favorite team has lifted his spirits.

source: people.com