Barcelona rout Aston Villa 3-0 as Prince William and George watch from Camp Nou

Aston Villa were beaten 3-0 by Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night, a result watched in person by Prince William and Prince George, who had flown out to support their club at the Spotify Camp Nou.

The Guardian's Barney Ronay described a "chilly, damp, oddly processional night" in which Barcelona produced what he called a performance of "unhurried, high-grade incision", easing to victory without the contest ever threatening to become close.

Ronay noted it was a familiar outcome for Unai Emery in that part of Spain, and wrote that while this Barcelona side always offers openings through its high defensive line, Villa were never able to exploit them, "always held at arm's length, fists whirling in the space between".

Raphinha was singled out in the Guardian's coverage as the player who underlined Barcelona's superiority on the night, with the result leaving Villa to reflect on a thoroughly chastening evening in Catalonia.

William and George's attendance was confirmed by both the Independent and Yahoo Sports, who reported that the pair braved torrential rain to be at the ground for the away tie, with Yahoo adding that George had been taken out of school during his half-term break to make the trip.

Barcelona marked the visit with a message shared alongside a photograph of William, who wore a navy blazer over a crewneck sweater. "FC Barcelona is honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince George to the Spotify Camp Nou," the club's post read, adding: "Thank you for joining us for a special evening of Champions League football featuring your beloved Aston Villa."

William's attachment to Villa dates back to his schooldays. Speaking on the Graham Norton Show earlier this month, he explained how the connection began: "Some childhood friends of mine got me into Aston Villa, clearly thinking they'd get some free tickets in later life. I think it's probably worked."

He had given a fuller account of the pull towards Villa in a 2015 interview with the BBC's Gary Lineker, saying he had "wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments" rather than following the bigger clubs his school friends supported.

In that interview he recalled attending a Bolton v Aston Villa FA Cup tie in 2000, saying he sat among the home fans "with my red beanie on" and found in Villa's support "the atmosphere, the camaraderie", adding that it gave him "something I could connect with".

Tuesday's trip was not the first time father and son have followed Villa together in Europe. George previously joined William at Villa Park in April 2025 for the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, where he was pictured cheering the team on in an Aston Villa scarf.

This latest outing, though, ended in one-way traffic for the home side, with Villa unable to lay a glove on a Barcelona team Ronay judged to be operating on a different level throughout the Camp Nou encounter.