The Prince of Wales was among the first to congratulate the England football team after the Three Lions battled to a 3-2 win against Mexico in their World Cup last-16 clash.
William urged the team on to the quarter-finals as he joined millions of fans across England in celebrating their triumph in Mexico City.
Supporters packed out hundreds of bars and pubs for the late-night clash after the UK government extended opening hours to 5am on Monday, with beers flying into the air at the final whistle.
The drama began early when forecasted thunderstorms struck around the Azteca stadium, eventually delaying kick-off by an hour due to the risk of lightning.
The game picked up where the weather left off, with England playing much of the second-half with 10 men after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high tackle following a VAR review, while both sides were awarded penalties.
William wrote in a social media post: ‘Well done England! Bring on the quarter-final!’
Meanwhile, politicians around the country were also up late to watch their nation triumph.
In a post on X, Labour MP Stella Creasy quipped: ‘I have no idea how I do the school run this morning after a red card and a penalty… Like having had ten espressos and a red bull chaser…’
The occasion also seemed to get to England captain Harry Kane, whose second-half penalty proved crucial, after he struggled to speak when being interviewed after the game.
Ecstatic England fans spontaneously broke out into Sweet Caroline at Boxpark Wembley in north-west London, with people jumping into the air and Co2 cannons blasting white fog in celebration.
Similar scenes occurred at fan parks in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle with confetti flying as shirtless fans embraced each other.
At Wembley, Ollie, 29, who did not want to disclose his surname, joked he would be ‘very ill’ in a few hours when he needed to go to work.
‘Luckily my manager is also ill,’ he said. ‘The win was a long time coming.’
Co-hosts Mexico had only lost only two of their previous 89 competitive games at the Estadio Azteca, which lies more than 2,200 metres above sea level.
Outside the ground after the match, England fan Stuart Pearce, 62, described the matches as ‘one of the best games ever’.
He said: ‘When the Mexicans came out the whole thing vibrated – it was a great atmosphere, all the Mexicans were really friendly.
‘We’ve not had one bit of trouble – the Mexicans are so friendly that one even bought us a train ticket today.’
His son Liam, 29, from Wiltshire, also remarked that the stadium was ‘unbelievable’.
He added: ‘We sat amongst the Mexicans, which was a bit terrifying to start with, but as soon as that first goal went in, it was fine.
‘The performances aren’t great but the best teams never play well throughout the tournament, so we’ll see.’
England will now face Norway on Saturday in the quarter-final after the Scandinavian side beat Brazil 2-1, with the game kicking off at 10pm Irish time.
