Sir Lewis Hamilton says he will be splitting his support at the World Cup between England and Brazil.
The Formula One icon and long-time football fan, 41, feels compelled to also cheer on the South American nation because of their footballing style and culture.
Hamilton, a boyhood Arsenal supporter, revealed his split allegiances ahead of the Monaco GP weekend, where the Ferrari star is hoping to climb from fourth in the standings.
‘For me, it’s tied with England,’ he said. ‘Honestly, Brazil has always been my favourite team.
‘Growing up in England, I used to love watching Brazil play. I think it’s the colours, the culture, and the players always just looked the most skilled, they were so cool.
‘I just appreciate where they come from. Many of the players come from the streets where they play with no shoes and there’s something quite special about Brazilian culture.’
Lewis Hamilton says he will be supporting both England and Brazil during the World Cup
Hamilton feels a deep affinity with Brazil and has been made an honorary citizen of the country
Hamilton’s childhood hero was Brazilian driver and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, who died tragically in a crash in 1994, and he paid tribute to him by waving the country’s flag after winning at Interlagos in 2021. In 2017, he was given a race-worn Senna helmet by the legend’s family. He is also friends with football star Neymar.
He was granted honorary citizenship of Brazil in 2022 and told Elle Men Brasil in 2014: ‘The thing I love the most in Brazil is people, energy. When I finally came here, I felt the energy. It’s a very diverse country, which I love. I feel at home.’
Predicting a route through the World Cup is incredibly difficult given the many variables involved, but there is a fair chance England could meet Brazil in the quarter-finals.
The Three Lions have never defeated the Selecao at an international tournament. At the World Cup, they drew their first encounter in 1958 but have since lost all three to the famous team in yellow.
They last met at the World Cup in 2002, when Ronaldinho chipped the ball over David Seaman from a free-kick to seal a 2-1 win in the quarter-finals.
England’s overall record against Brazil is dire, with four wins, 11 draws, and 12 losses on their log book.
At least Hamilton will get to celebrate on behalf of somebody if the duo come head-to-head in North America.
It has already been a season of jubilation for him after seeing his boyhood club Arsenal lift the Premier League title.
The Ferrari star is dating Kim Kardashian and had met the influencer’s children
They enjoyed a romantic bike ride recently, a departure from his usual high-speed action
‘I think, like for everyone, [it was] very emotional,’ he said. ‘I shed a tear, to be honest, because I remember I was five years old and I used to play in Stevenage, in Peartree Way, around the corner football with friends.
‘I was the only black kid in the area out of the people that I was playing with and I remember trying to fit in and all of them supported different [teams] – West Ham, Tottenham and Manchester [United] – so I was bouncing between all these when I was like four or five years old depending on who I was with.
‘My sister, I remember exactly, I messaged her the other day, she was walking me home and she asked me what team I supported.
‘She gave me a dead arm back then, a little dig in my arm, and said: “You have to support Arsenal!” We had a laugh yesterday about it.’
Hamilton has not yet attended a World Cup fixture but did clear his diary in the event that England made it to the final in 2018 in Russia. Unfortunately they lost to Croatia in the semi-finals.
Alongside his driving for Ferrari and football fandom, Hamilton will have a busy summer keeping up with his girlfriend Kim Kardashian, who he has been dating since December.
The pair’s romance is reportedly stronger than ever, with Hamilton even seen with Kardashian and her children during a recent family dinner.
They went public with their romance at the Super Bowl in February then subsequently went Instagram official.
Last month, Kardashian and Hamilton were spotted kissing for the first time when they went swimming in the Pacific Ocean near her home in Malibu.
