Celebrities Who Go to the World Cup to Support Their Country
Every World Cup, the cameras eventually drift away from the pitch and into the stands, where a familiar cast of famous faces is doing exactly what the rest of us are doing: living and dying with every touch. Some of them are cheering for the country you'd expect. Others — through citizenship, heritage, or a family tie you've probably never heard of — are backing a team that has nothing to do with where they became famous. Here's the real story behind some of the biggest names spotted supporting their countries across recent World Cups, including 2026.
The Regulars: Superfans Who Never Miss a Match
Some celebrities have been at this for so long they're basically part of the furniture. David Beckham, England's former captain, has become a fixture at major tournaments — he was at England's Qatar 2022 opener, and in 2026 he brought Victoria and their sons Romeo and Cruz to the Final itself, part of a Hollywood-heavy crowd that also included Tom Cruise.
Mick Jagger has been going even longer, to the point where his attendance became a running joke: for years, fans blamed a "Jagger curse" for the fact that whichever team he showed up to support in person tended to lose. His frown after England's 2026 semifinal defeat to Argentina went viral all over again, proof the bit still has legs.
Then there's Oasis. Liam Gallagher has always been a proud, uncomplicated England fan — his band's "Wonderwall" turned into the unofficial soundtrack of England's 2026 run. His brother and bandmate Noel, though, threw a wrench into the whole thing: asked directly about it, Noel pointed out that both of his parents were born in Ireland, and made clear that England was never really his team — a genuinely funny wrinkle in one of Britain's most famous sibling rivalries.
Not Who You'd Guess
The best stories aren't the obvious ones. Anya Taylor-Joy, the star of The Queen's Gambit, reads as British to most audiences — but she was born in Miami and spent her early childhood in Buenos Aires until she was six. She holds Argentine citizenship, has said that "in my heart of hearts" she's for Argentina, and was seen supporting the team at the 2026 final.
Rod Stewart is a similar case in reverse. Born and raised in London, the classic-rock legend would seem like a natural England fan — except his father was from Edinburgh, and Stewart has spent his whole public life backing Scotland instead, not the country he actually grew up in.
And then there's a name most people wouldn't recognize at all: Luciana Damon, wife of Matt Damon. She's not the famous one in the relationship, but she was born and raised in Buenos Aires long before the two ever met — and during the 2026 World Cup, she was photographed in the stands wearing Argentina's sky-blue-and-white jersey, quietly repping the country her husband only married into.
Host Nation Energy
With the tournament played across the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026, it's no surprise the host nations had plenty of celebrity backup. Edward Norton was spotted at a USA group match sitting near Brad Pitt, and cameras caught him narrating his own nerves out loud, fully committed to the bit. Will Ferrell has been doing this for longer than almost anyone — a genuine, self-appointed superfan of the US national team since at least 2014, and a part-owner of LAFC in MLS. Paris Hilton brought her entire family to a USA match dressed head-to-toe in a revived 1994-style denim jersey, and Ashton Kutcher cheered on the USMNT in a flag-print trucker hat.
Mexico had its own contingent, led by Salma Hayek — born in Veracruz and a lifelong supporter of El Tri — and comedian Eugenio Derbez, who once crashed a live broadcast in a national team jersey just to hype up fans watching from home. And representing Canada was Ryan Reynolds, who co-owns Welsh club Wrexham but made sure everyone knew that at the World Cup, he was cheering for the country where he was actually born and raised.
Spain's Champions Crew
When Spain beat Argentina in the 2026 Final, they had no shortage of famous company. Javier Bardem and his wife Penélope Cruz — both Oscar winners — were there rooting for La Roja throughout the tournament, and Bardem held up the trophy pitchside once the final whistle blew. Catalan singer Rosalía was in the stands for Spain's group-stage win over Austria, and tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, no stranger to lifting trophies of his own, celebrated the World Cup title right alongside the rest of the country.
Colombia's Biggest Fans
For years, casual fans assumed Shakira's football loyalties belonged to Spain, thanks to her long relationship with former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué. It was never true — she was born in Barranquilla, and Colombia has always been her real team. Fellow Barranquilla native Sofía Vergara makes no secret of hers either, dancing on Instagram after Colombia's 2026 group-stage win over Uzbekistan and calling the national team her lifelong favorite.
Two We Lost, But Never Forgot Their Team
Not every great football devotion belongs to someone still around to show it off. Kobe Bryant lived in Italy between the ages of six and thirteen, while his father played professional basketball there — he grew up speaking fluent Italian and became a genuine, lifelong AC Milan fan, a bond the club publicly honored after his death in 2020.
And no piece about football-obsessed public figures would be complete without the man widely considered the world's most famous football fan of all: Pope Francis, who before his passing in 2025 had been a card-carrying member of Argentine club San Lorenzo since childhood — membership number 88,235 — and played goalkeeper himself as a kid on the streets of Buenos Aires.