Sir Anthony Hopkins' England football shirt sparks debate

Sir Anthony Hopkins has prompted a flurry of divided reaction after sharing a photograph of himself wearing an England football shirt ahead of the team's World Cup Match against Mexico.

The Oscar-winning actor, who was born in Port Talbot, posted the image of himself alongside his wife Stella Arroyave, who wore a Mexico shirt, on Instagram.

The caption read: "We're all winners... #WorldCup2026."

Some fans were quick to joke about the post - particularly given Sir Anthony's reputation for being fiercely proud of his Welsh roots - with one replying, "Babes you're Welsh".

The post attracted hundreds of comments, many from Welsh supporters questioning why one of Wales' most recognisable stars had chosen to wear an England shirt.

One person wrote: "Take that shirt off Sir... you're Welsh!"

Another commented: "Olympus has fallen."

A third added: "Anthony Hopkins is Welsh, not English," while another joked: "Mate you're from Swansea!"- though he was actually born in Port Talbot.

Others defended the actor, suggesting he was simply enjoying the occasion and posing alongside his wife before the match.

Sir Anthony, 88, has rarely spoken publicly about which football team he supports.

Although he has spent much of his career in Hollywood, he has often spoken proudly of his Welsh roots.

England went on to beat Mexico 3-2 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

Sir Anthony is known for portraying psychotic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 horror film The Silence Of The Lambs, for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor the following year.

He went on to star in The Silence Of The Lambs sequel Hannibal (2001) and its prequel Red Dragon (2002), before winning a second Oscar for Best Actor in 2021 for his role in Florian Zeller's The Father, which also starred Olivia Colman.