Prince William meets England’s support staff at St. George’s Park
Prince William made a surprise visit to England’s national soccer team on May 27, 2026, while preparations continue for the FIFA World Cup. The father of two appeared at St. George’s Park, where England’s players and staff are training ahead of the soccer international tournament. During the visit, the Prince of Wales met the people working behind the scenes and praised their efforts in helping the team prepare for the competition. England’s men’s team later shared video footage of the royal visit on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). As patron of the Football Association, Prince William has regularly supported English soccer and often attends important matches involving the national team and his favorite soccer club, Aston Villa.
Meeting the team behind the team ❤️🏴
We had a special visit from His Royal Highness Prince William at St. George’s Park as preparations continue for the @FIFAWorldCup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6SZEFxfzTh
— England (@England) May 27, 2026
Prince William praises the “team behind the team”
During his visit, Prince William gave a brief speech to staff members working with England’s team. He thanked the employees who help support the players every day but often stay out of the spotlight. Then the Prince of Wales told the group that the players’ success depends heavily on the foundation laid by coaches, trainers, medical staff, and other behind-the-scenes employees. Prince William also mentioned the recent achievements of England’s national teams, including strong performances by the Lionesses and the men’s team reaching two UEFA European Championship finals. He said the country seems closer than ever to achieving its goals on the international soccer stage.
“Just wanted to take the opportunity to see the team behind the team today and say thank you and good luck to all of you guys, who don’t get as much acknowledgement or credit as you deserve. Not everyone gets to see all the hard work you put in, and the entire success of the players comes from the foundations you built, so thank you,” he said.
England prepares for upcoming matches in North America
England’s first World Cup-related match will take place against New Zealand in Tampa, Florida, on June 6, 2026. The English team will then face Costa Rica in Orlando on June 10 before opening the group stage against Croatia in Dallas, Texas, on June 17. Besides thanking the staff and employees, Prince William also spent time speaking with England manager Thomas Tuchel. His appearance came shortly after traveling to Istanbul, Turkey, where he watched Aston Villa win the UEFA Europa League title.
