"My father hates football." Not the most obvious opener for a World Cup podcast, but Prince William delivered it with the kind of dry timing that suggests he's said it before and enjoyed it every time.
The Prince of Wales appeared on Travis Kelce's podcast for a 28-minute conversation that ranged from England's World Cup prospects to the etiquette of holding a beer when you meet royalty. It was loose, unscripted, and occasionally revealing — particularly on the subject of William's genuine love for Aston Villa, which turns out to run deeper than a PR-friendly club affiliation.
He'll be in the stands if England reach the final
On the big question — would he travel to the US for the World Cup final — William was characteristically cautious before committing. "Definitely. If we're in the finals," he said, then immediately walked it back to "Maybe. Maybe." Call it diplomatic hedging. Call it the lived experience of being an England fan.
He also backed Thomas Tuchel's attacking approach with more conviction than the maybe-man persona suggested. "If you're going to score four goals, we'll score five. And I think that's a really good attitude," William said. England's defensive odds have looked shakier under Tuchel's more open setup — but William, at least, is buying in.
His footballing Mount Rushmore — because of course they asked — featured Beckham, Lineker, Gerrard, Lampard, Bobby Charlton, and Harry Kane. "Harry Kane could end up being one of the greatest English strikers we've ever seen," he said. Given Kane's subsequent record-breaking appearances for England, that reads less like royal small talk and more like accurate scouting.
Aston Villa: the relegation that deepened the addiction
The most honest moment in the whole episode wasn't about England. It was about Villa going down to the Championship and William admitting it made him love the club more, not less.
"I got into football more than ever when we got relegated," he said. "I suddenly really enjoyed the battle to get back in the Premiership." That's not the kind of thing you say if you're just wearing the shirt for the cameras. That's supporter psychology — the perverse attachment that only grows when things go wrong.
His mood, he said, swings with Villa's results. "My weekend goes from being either the best we can in the world when we win... or frankly, I don't want to see anyone on Monday morning because I'm really down." Relatable. Genuinely relatable.
He became a Villa fan after watching them play Bolton 26 years ago — a detail nobody at the club's commercial department could have scripted better if they tried.
On his role as FA president, he offered the most concise management philosophy imaginable: "Just don't mess up."
King Charles, for the record, has previously described himself as a Burnley supporter. Results there may explain the aversion.
