Prince George and Prince William pictured in Barcelona cheering on their ‘beloved Aston Villa’

Barcelona received formal confirmation of the royal pair’s attendance ahead of the fixture, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported.

FC Barcelona’s official social media account wrote: “FC Barcelona is honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince George to the Spotify Camp Nou.

“Thank you for joining us for a special evening of Champions League football featuring your beloved Aston Villa.”

The Spanish champions were making preparations for the high-profile visit to their iconic ground.

William, a lifelong Villa devotee, has regularly travelled across Europe to watch Unai Emery’s side whenever his schedule of royal engagements permits. He was also present at Villa Park last month for their commanding 6-0 demolition of Fenerbahce.

Emery’s side arrived in Catalonia chasing a fourth successive victory in the Champions League league phase, having won all three of their matches so far this season.

It represented their sternest examination yet, however, with Barcelona currently occupying top spot in LaLiga.

The fixture also carried a notable historical connection for Emery, whose former club Paris Saint-Germain suffered a famous 6-1 defeat at this very stadium back in 2017.

Villa’s resurgence on the European stage has been remarkable under the Spaniard’s stewardship.

He led them back into the Champions League in 2024, and despite a quarter-final exit to PSG that year, the club responded emphatically by claiming the Europa League trophy last season.

The 1982 European Cup winners have firmly re-established themselves among the continent’s elite.

William’s devotion to Villa was on full display in May when he travelled to Istanbul for the Europa League final, where Emery’s men dispatched Freiburg 3-0 at Beşiktaş Park.

The Prince was visibly overcome with emotion after the triumph ended a three-decade wait for silverware, and was seen wiping his eyes as the celebrations unfolded.

He was subsequently invited onto the pitch to join the squad’s festivities. Footage circulating on social media captured him belting out Sweet Caroline with his arms draped around fellow supporters.

Following the victory, William took to social media to declare himself “Villa ‘Til I Die,” writing: “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 also gave a “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.”

Tonight’s trip was not George’s first European away day with his father. The young Prince accompanied William to Paris in 2025 to watch Villa compete in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Prince of Wales has previously spoken about how he came to support the Midlands club. In a 2015 BBC interview, he explained that his schoolmates largely backed Manchester United or Chelsea, prompting him to seek something different.

“I wanted to have a team that was more middle of the table; that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster moments,” he said.