Prince William has hinted that England could one day welcome the World Cup back to home soil during a surprise appearance on the New Heights podcast.
The Prince of Wales joined NFL brothers Travis and Jason Kelce for a special one-off episode of their hit podcast, released on Friday just hours before Travis was due to marry Taylor Swift.
It marked a notable podcast outing for William, who is also the official Patron of the English Football Association. During the conversation, he discussed the World Cup, currently being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and reflected on the passionate reputation England supporters often bring to major tournaments.
William suggested that one of the biggest adjustments for travelling England fans in the United States might not be the stadiums or the atmosphere, but the taste of American beer.
‘I think you haven’t met your match until you’ve met a lot of beer drinkers from the UK,’ he told the Kelce brothers. ‘We can handle our own beer to anyone.’
As many England fans know all too well, William has experienced the emotional highs and lows that come with following the national team through international competitions. Before becoming the FA’s Patron in 2024, he served as its President from 2006.
Prince William made a special guest appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast
The episode dropped just hours before Travis was set to wed Taylor Swift on July 3
Yet, despite the years of hurt, he insisted that he has faith that Thomas Tuchel’s side could be lifting the trophy on July 19 in New Jersey.
‘I always felt like we had a really good chance,’ he said. ‘But as each World Cup goes on and the results don’t quite go your way… a little bit of hope gets chipped away each time.
‘I’m taking it calmly and quietly and like, come on, we’re going to do well and see how we go. But I am quietly confident, I think.’
While it remains to be seen if it truly is coming home this month, William hinted that the World Cup could be returning to England in the future. The tournament, at least.
‘I think trying to support our World Cup or European bids,’ he said when asked about his role with the FA by Jason. ‘This country particularly is mad about football.
‘So, trying to get a World Cup to be hosted here… Or a Euros here is fantastic. I’ve been trying to do a bit of work on that. But also I think I’ll be trying to help reform the system a bit as well.’
He added that a predominant aspect of his job is acting as a ‘cheerleader’ for the organization, ensuring that the FA has the ‘backing of the country.’
William’s passion for the sport is well-documented with the royal frequently spotted cheering on his beloved Aston Villa at Villa Park with his son, Prince George.
The prince warned the NFL stars about England fans’ notorious drinking habits
The royal is an avid football fan as is regular seen supporting his team Aston Villa at games
The Prince of Wales is pictured with son Prince George at the 2024 FA Cup final
In his former role as president of the FA, Prince Williams greets players before the 2025 final
He has supported both the men’s and women’s national teams on the global stage, attending the 2020 Euro final against Italy with George and Princess Kate and a game at the UEFA Women’s Euros last year, which the Lionesses went on to win, with Princess Charlotte.
He also often attends FA Cup finals in an official capacity for his trophy presentation responsibilities.
READ MORE: Toddler Mistakenly Declared Dead and Left in Morgue for Five Hours After Drowning Incident
However, while William has passed on his passion for the sport to his children, he did not inherit it from his own father. In fact, he revealed that King Charles does not share his love of football, at all.
‘Absolutely not. My father hates football,’ he said when asked if the King introduced him to supporting Aston Villa, stunning Travis and Jason.
He added: ‘My family haven’t got a particularly long history with football. There are a few of us who support teams. My football love came from friends taking me to my first match and at school growing up.
‘You can’t avoid the football chat. It’s everywhere. Some school friends or childhood friends of mine took me to my first game.’
Travis and Jason are, of course, more acquainted with American football. Travis is a three-time Super Bowl winner with the Kansas City Chiefs and is heading into his 14th season in the NFL in September.
Meanwhile, Jason is a Philadelphia Eagles legend, having also won a Super Bowl with the franchise before retiring in 2024 following 13 seasons.
William, pictured with England manager Thomas Tuchel, serves as the official Patron of the FA
He revealed that his father, King Charles, does not share his passion for the sport
Yet, William was convinced he could convert the brothers into football supporters as World Cup fever sweeps through the US.
The prince, who shared that he would attend the final should England make it all the way, joked that he would invite the pair to MetLife Stadium, saying: ‘See you both there for the final.’
However, Travis’s focus will have already switched to the looming NFL season with the Chiefs’ training camp beginning 10 days after the World Cup final.
William hatched a plan to sneak the tight end out of Missouri for the occasion, joking that he would write to Kansas City head coach Andy Reid to request permission.
Before NFL preseason gets underway, Travis has his attention set on a much bigger event: His wedding to Taylor.
The NFL star and singer are set to wed at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday evening in a star-studded ceremony – five hours after the New Heights podcast with William went live.
The royal previously joked that he was ‘hoping’ to get an invite to Taylor and Travis’s New York wedding after striking up a friendship with the couple at Wembley Stadium in 2024.
The songstress and Chiefs icon posed for a selfie with the Prince of Wales as well as two of his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the show.
The Prince of Wales and children Princess George and Princess Charlotte posed for a photo with Taylor and Travis at Wembley in 2024
Travis and Taylor met the Prince in the same run of shows as the NFL star’s cameo on stage
Travis made his own special appearance during that concert, stunning fans when he emerged onstage to perform a small segment with his pop sensation fiancee.
‘Definitely a very proud moment of my life, for sure,’ the tight end said of his performance.
He went on to admit that both he and Jason were wracked with nerves over meeting the Royal Family, revealing they were petrified of breaking protocol.
‘That was honestly one of the coolest moments ever was meeting you and the little ones that day,’ he added. ‘Me and Jason joke about it all the time.
‘We were so nervous to meet you guys and the royal family. And Jason has this running joke where he didn’t know what to do with his beer.’
‘It wasn’t a joke. It was real,’ Jason insisted. ‘I don’t know what. Well, you want to be respectful and know what the protocols of course. No, it was awesome. And you were fantastic. The kids were great.
‘Princess Charlotte was still the highlight for me. I have four daughters as well, so she was great.’
The former NFL center shares Wyatt, six, Elliotte, five, Bennett, three, and Finnley, one, with wife, Kylie.
