By Alesia Fiddler and Shekhar Bhatia In Dusseldorf
00:07 07 Jul 2024, updated 01:59 07 Jul 2024
Prince William hugged England goal hero Bukayo Saka as he congratulated the Three Lions after their latest Euros win.
The Prince of Wales hailed last night’s game against Switzerland ‘nail-biting to the very end’ and was snapped cheering with his fists in the air at Dusseldorf Arena after Saka scored the equaliser at the 80th minute.
Chants of ‘England, England, England’ echoed throughout the stadium during the thrilling moment.
After the game William, who is president of the FA, embraced the 22-year-old player in the tunnel.
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Wearing a navy suit and a football print tie, William congratulated Saka after the Three Lions won against their opponents to penalties after finishing 1-1.
The Arsenal player scored in the tense shoot-out which saw England earn a place in the semi-finals.
Saka had suffered terrible online racial abuse after missing a penalty against Italy in the last final at the 2020 Euros and was overjoyed at netting in the shoot out tonight.
His mother Adenike, a committed Christian, was seen with her hands clasped as if in prayer as he stepped up to take his kick.
Saka tweeted: ‘Last time we had a penalty shootout at the Euros, we know what happened.
‘I used it to make me stronger. Today I took the chance. So I’m happy. I’m so proud of everyone that we got over the line.’
William watched the game from the stands with the likes of UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA Deputy General Secretary Giorgio Marchetti and former Portugal ace Luis Figo and later wrote a personally signed message to social media.
He posted: ‘Nail biting to the very end. Well done @England! Semi-finals here we come! We believe. W.’
Known for his passion for sport, William was on the edge of his seat during some parts of the game and was even spotted with his head in his hands at one point.
In a more joyous moment, he smiled as he high-fived a woman who was sat next to him.
Prince William, who has been vocal in his support for the Three Lions throughout the tournament, joined supporters in the stands earlier in June as the team faced down Denmark in Frankfurt.
England’s Euros journey will continue with a semi final against the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday night, with the Dutch also turning around a 1-0 deficit to beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday night.