“UTV! VTID,” short for “Up the Villa!” and “Villa Till I Die,” the prince said following the win.

Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales (C) attends the UEFA Europa League final football match between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa at Besiktas Park in Istanbul on May 20, 2026

Prince William rejoiced as he saw his favorite soccer team win their first major trophy in 30 years.Credit : Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty

 

Prince William might’ve just become his favorite soccer team’s good luck charm.

William’s beloved Aston Villa took home the win against German team SC Freiburg after Morgan Rogers secured the final goal in the 58th minute.

Ahead of the 3-0 win in Istanbul, on Wednesday, May 20, the Prince of Wales, 43, traveled to cheer on his team in the Europa League.

This marks the Birmingham-rooted club’s first major European trophy since winning the European Cup in 1982 — the same year William was born.

In a video posted by a game-goer, William could be seen rejoicing during the game and even giving a fellow soccer fan a rowdy thumbs up, accompanied by a grin.

Before departing for Turkey, the longtime Villa supporter shared a rallying cry on social media, posting: “Come on Villa! Good luck in tonight’s Europa League final. UTV!” — short for “Up the Villa!” — before signing off simply with “W.”

Prince William watching Aston Villa in Turkey

Prince William’s Instagram post in support of Aston Villa.princeandprincessofwales/Instagram

After securing the coveted win, William took to social media to share his post-game excitement.

“Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!” he wrote in the post.

“Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara, who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success,” he said, referring to the team’s midfielder who’s out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, per The New York Times’ The Athletic.

Then the Duke of Cornwall added, “UTV! VTID,” short for “Up the Villa!” and “Villa Till I Die”— before again signing off with “W.”

William was also seen grinning while holding a trophy in a snap shared by the team’s official Instagram page.

Fortunately for him, William was also in attendance when Villa learned they’d be in the final of the Europa League.

William, Prince of Wales, is seen in attendance prior to the UEFA Europa League Final 2026 match between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa FC at Besiktas Park on May 20, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Prince William in the stands during Aston Villa’s May 20, 2026 match in Istanbul.Alex Livesey – AVFC/Aston Villa FC via Getty

He was seen dancing along to “Sweet Caroline” as he and fellow soccer enthusiasts celebrated the 4-0 against Nottingham Forest win on Thursday, May 7.

Following that win, the prince was seen back in the stands shortly after, when he saw Chelsea play Manchester City during the 2026 Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, May 16.

Even though the prince has publicly been a massive fan of the sport, he went to the game in an official capacity.

As a patron of the Football Association, the sport’s governing body in England, he regularly attends games, including the FA Cup final, and awards the trophy to winners.

SOURCE: https://people.com/prince-william-celebrates-favorite-teams-first-major-trophy-win-in-30-years-11980692