The most anticipated event for football fans around the world is about to begin. The 2026 World Cup starts this June 11 with the match between the Mexico national team, one of the three host nations, and South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. FIFA estimates that there will be a total of six million visitors during the tournament, and among them several members of European royalty have already been confirmed.
As far as our royal family is concerned, King Felipe VI has already confirmed that he will travel on June 26 to Guadalajara (Mexico) to witness the football match in which our national team faces Uruguay. In the World Cup group stage, La Roja will first face the Cape Verde team, then the Saudi Arabia team, and finally the South American side.
A great football enthusiast, the King of Spain responded in this way to invitations sent by both the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, and the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino. At the moment, the presence in North America of other members of the royal family is not confirmed, but if the Spanish team reaches the final, it would not be surprising to see Princess Sofia in New York alongside her father.
The youngest of the kings Felipe and Letizia has always stood out for being the most football-mad in the family. In fact, she has been present with her father at the Copa del Rey final and with her mother at the Sydney Women’s World Cup final. A true talisman for La Roja, we also saw her at the decisive match of the last European Championship, in which ours beat England with a goal by Mikel Oyarzabal.
Maxima, yes; Kate Middleton, no
With Mary and Frederik of Denmark not involved, since their country’s team is not playing in the World Cup, those who have also confirmed their presence to support their country are the Dutch royals Willem-Alexander and Maxima. Both will be present in Houston, Texas, on June 20 to attend the match between the Netherlands and Sweden. They will then fly to Kansas City to attend the match between Curaçao and Ecuador. In both occasions they will be joined by their younger daughter, Princess Ariane.
Regarding the Swedish royal family, King Carl XVI Gustaf has declined the invitation from FIFA President Gianni Infantino to attend the World Cup. The Swedish royal house has officially stated that the monarch does not plan to attend any of the national team’s matches, although the possibility that another member of the Swedish royal family might attend cannot be ruled out.
The Prince William and his son George, during a football match.
The British royal family is in the same situation. It was presumed that the Prince and Princess of Wales would travel to the United States to support the Three Lions, but at the moment the presence of Prince William or Kate Middleton has not been confirmed. It is believed that the future king of England, a keen football fan, will be cheering on his team if they reach the World Cup knockout rounds.
Haakon of Norway, awaiting Mette-Marit
What had already confirmed his travel to the World Cup is Haakon of Norway. The public broadcaster NRK said last week that both the heir apparent and his son Sverre Magnus would travel to the United States to support the team led by Erling Haaland. However, Mette-Marit’s declining health has now put his presence in the United States at risk.
“We will have to study it a little, because we must weigh the illness of the heir princess and whether we can travel,” the king Harald’s son said in recent remarks. The heir princess Mette-Marit has just been added to a list to receive a lung transplant since, otherwise, her medical team believes she could have as little as “one year to live”.
