Prince William has personally sent his best wishes to England ahead of the Three Lions’ opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.The Prince and Princess of Wales’s official social media account shared a message of support on Wednesday as England prepared to face Croatia in their first Group L fixture of the tournament.After Fifa posted on X: “Our @FIFAWorldCup journey starts here!”, the royal account responded: “Good luck to England ahead of their first World Cup group match tonight! “Here’s to a great tournament ahead. W”.The inclusion of the letter “W” is significant, indicating the message was written personally by Prince William rather than by Palace staff, a convention the Prince and Princess of Wales have used on social media for several years.William’s public show of support comes as England begins its latest quest to end a 60-year wait for World Cup glory.The Three Lions take on Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm UK time. The match marks the first World Cup meeting between the two nations since Croatia’s famous semi-final victory over England in Russia in 2018.Prince William has sent a personal message to England ahead of its crucial World Cup opener against Croatia | GETTYThe Prince of Wales has long been one of England football’s most prominent supporters and serves as Patron of The Football Association.In the weeks leading up to the tournament, he made a surprise visit to St George’s Park to meet members of England’s backroom staff and wish the team well before they departed for North America.While best known as a devoted supporter of Aston Villa, William has frequently attended England matches and major international tournaments in both his royal and FA roles.England enter the competition under manager Thomas Tuchel, who has described the World Cup as the pinnacle of his coaching career.
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Good luck to England ahead of their first World Cup group match tonight! Here’s to a great tournament ahead. 💪🚀 W The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 17, 2026 The German has expressed confidence that tournament football will bring out the best in his squad as they seek a winning start against an experienced Croatian side featuring veterans including Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić.The prince’s public endorsement is likely to resonate with England supporters, many of whom are preparing for a late-night start to the nation’s World Cup campaign.Gareth Southgate chatting to Prince William, Patron of the FA, at Ascot on Wednesday | GETTYIndustry figures have reported a significant increase in pub bookings across the UK ahead of the Croatia clash, underlining the excitement surrounding England’s opening fixture.Should England overcome Croatia, they will continue their Group L campaign against Ghana on June 23 before facing Panama four days later.