Anthony Hopkins divides opinion with World Cup football shirt choice
Amelia Jones
Iconic Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins has been pictured wearing an unexpected football shirt ahead of last night’s World Cup game.
The Hollywood legend, who was born in Port Talbot, shared the photograph of him wearing an England shirt with his millions of followers on social media before the game. In the image, Hopkins is seen with an inquisitive expression while posing alongside his wife, Stella Arroyave, who is wearing a Mexico shirt.
The caption read:”We’re all winners… ⚽️ #worldcup2026″
The light-hearted post quickly attracted attention from football fans, particularly in Wales, where Hopkins is one of the country’s most celebrated figures.
However, the post divided Sir Anthony’s followers, with some applauding the actor for showing his support for England, while others questioned why one of Wales’ most famous stars was wearing the Three Lions shirt.
For example, one commenter said: “Anthony Hopkins is Welsh, not English.”
Another added: “What are you doing????? You are Welsh.”
Others defended the Oscar-winning actor, suggesting he was simply enjoying the occasion as the pair posed together in shirts representing the two teams ahead of the World Cup game.
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Although Arroyave is Colombian, she chose to wear a Mexico shirt in the photograph ahead of the match. The reason for her choice was not explained in the social media post, but it added to the conversation among fans online as England prepared to face Mexico.
Hopkins, whose distinguished acting career has spanned more than six decades, has rarely spoken publicly about his football allegiances.
Despite the debate, there is nothing to suggest Sir Anthony was renouncing his Welsh identity. The actor has frequently spoken with pride about his upbringing in Port Talbot and remains one of Wales’ most celebrated exports, despite spending much of his career in Hollywood.
England went on to defeat Mexico 3-2 to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals, ensuring Hopkins’ pre-match post continued to circulate among football fans even after the final whistle.
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Words fail me.
No longer one of ours
I’ve always felt there was something a bit off about his performative Welshness. He’s what my teenage child calls a “pick-me”
This is why Anthony Hopkins will never be loved like Richard Burton or Michael Sheen. He will come to regret this image.
To add. There are no known images on the internet of Anthony Hopkins wearing a Wales football shirt or a Welsh rugby jersey—none at all. Yet yesterday, he chose to wear an England shirt, bearing in mind that England were playing in Mexico City, not California.
A thing to ponder. Wales reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship in 2016 and 2021, and qualified for the World Cup in 2022 after a 64-year hiatus, yet he did not show any visible support being active on social media. Speaks volumes.
Actually, Wales reached the semis at the Euros in 2016.
Yes, correct. My error.
How glad I am that all wars, all poverty, all disease, all the woes of the world miraculously evaporated overnight so we can all concentrate on an actor’s football shirt.
So by your logic we can’t concentrate on anything else because bad things happen in the world? Get real.
This topic concerns Anthony Hopkins, a self-proclaimed proud Welshman who has never shown support for Welsh sport, aside from a recent photo of him wearing an England shirt. If he were showing solidarity with England as the only British team left in the tournament, that would make sense. But why, then, did we not see him wearing a Scotland shirt when they were still in the competition? He did not. If issues such as poverty, war, and disease were relevant to your point, it might carry more credibility. However, the same argument could be applied elsewhere—for example, the World Cup… Read more »
So what? It’s a shirt. I’m currently wearing a Ben Sherman t-shirt but I don’t work for the company.
He’s such a brilliant actor he had us thinking he was Welsh for decades. Give him an Oscar!
His wife is Mexican,so wears her nation’s shirt. Given that opponents were England Hopkins wears their kit so they have a match set. Amazing that ranters on here seem one step away from dishing up a fatwa on the old boy. Get a life FFS!
His wife is Colombian!
so what, she’s showing solidarity with another Latin American team, and Hopkins is making up the numbers for the match.
She’s shoeing support for her Latin neighbours just as he is his British…what’s the issue? Anyone would think he’d taken a dump on the Welsh flag 🤦🏼♀️
Well as for Latin neighbours you will never see an Argentinian in a Brazil shirt or vice versa.
Colombia are nowhere near Mexico you have to cross through Panama,Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala to travel from Colombia to Mexico, that is if you can get through the Darien Gap in Panama.
The people going off at him clearly don’t get the in-joke so I’ll spell it out for you… in America, he’s assumed to be English and his Colombian wife is assumed to be Mexican.
No wonder Wales and the Welsh people, struggle to be recognised in the US, I give up.
Tell me about it I used to live there.