When celebrities are interviewed about their favorite soccer teams, the common answers always seem to be Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United. As Us Weekly puts it, celebrities really are just like us. Everyone loves a winner, including celebrity soccer fans.
Thank goodness there are a few celebrities out there who support clubs outside the perennial winners. Sometimes their fandom isn’t exactly what you would call fanatical. In fact, in some cases celebrities are fans of soccer clubs for totally random reasons.
Here's a list of celebrity soccer fans that follow teams for some rather weird reasons.
Celebrity Soccer Fans - Oprah Winfrey
During Paul Clement’s tenure at the club earlier in the season, Swansea City really could have done with Oprah screaming, “You get a goal, you get a goal, everyone gets a goal!”
Why is Winfrey a fan? It turns out she starred in the movie "A Wrinkle In Time" with Mindy Kaling, who happens to own shares in the club.
Oprah said in an interview that she wants to invest in the team too, and when asked if that made her a fan of the club, she responded by saying, “There you go.” A glowing endorsement of fandom.
We have a hard time imagining Oprah belting out "Hymns and Arias" during a Swansea City match, but what a sight that would be.
Celebrity Soccer Fans - Mark Hamill
The force has most certainly been strong with the Wolves this season, as they are set to be promoted to the Premier League.
Regardless of their success, it turns out Hamill inadvertently became a Wolves supporter when someone on Twitter suggested he could support Wolves, and Hamill liked the tweet.
Here's the thing: he thought the original tweet was talking about an actual wolf (yes, the animal), not the team. After everyone got way too excited about it, Hamill tweeted that he "HAD to be a fan." Ah, the power of social media and misinterpreting a word.
Celebrity Soccer Fans - Tom Hanks
Forrest Gump is indeed a Villan. In an interview back in 2008, he said that, “Aston Villa sounds like a lovely little place… it sounds like a spa.” He has been to one game, which was when Aston Villa played MLS side Portland Timbers in 2012.
When Villa were relegated from the Premier League in 2016, he issued a rallying cry to Villa supporters, saying "Aston Villa will see their destiny through. Hang on. Don’t give up." Inspiring words from Mr. Hanks. If only the players ran like Forrest in the 2015-16 Premier League season, things might have turned out a little different for the club.
Celebrity Soccer Fans - Sylvester Stallone
The star of the “Rocky” movie series bleeds blue. He became a fan of the Toffees after watching a game at Goodison Park back in 2007, and wishes that back then he made an offer to buy the club, stating "If I knew what I know now I’d have snapped it up." Big words.
Imagine the scenes: Everton walking out to “Eye of the Tiger,” their new kit being a boxing robe and gloves, and their star signing would be a hard-nosed Italian from Philadelphia. Wouldn’t that be something!
Celebrity Soccer Fans - Barack Obama
Of all teams that the former President of the United States would support, I bet you that West Ham United did not cross your mind. How on earth did Obama come to be a Hammers fan?
Well, this is the story: Obama’s sister lives in East London and her family supports West Ham. Obama himself went on a trip to London and watched a West Ham game with the family and has been a supporter ever since, watching games whenever his hectic schedule allowed him to do so.
