Prince William, heir to the British throne, began his first visit to Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, November 3, 2025, with sports and environmental activities. He played football at Maracanã, took part in a rescue simulation at Copacabana, and announced an initiative to protect Amazon indigenous peoples. The agenda includes the Earthshot Prize awards and commitments at COP30 in Belém.
Prince William arrived in Rio de Janeiro on November 3, 2025, for his first official visit to Brazil, representing King Charles III. The day started at Pão de Açúcar, where he received the city keys from Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD), to the sound of 'Brasileirinho' by a choro group at Morro da Urca.
At Maracanã stadium, William met young people from Earthshot foundation's environmental leadership programs and played football with children from the Terra FC project. The match ended in a technical tie: he took some dribbles but scored a penalty goal and took selfies, replying 'obrigado' in Portuguese.
In the afternoon, at Copacabana beach, the prince was received by Tarciso Junior, secretary of Civil Defense and commander of the Rio Fire Department. He watched a maritime rescue simulation, talked with rescuers about environmental preservation, and learned about Projeto Botinho, involving about 5,000 children and youth aged 7 to 17 in sea safety and environmental conservation activities.
In a relaxed atmosphere, William played beach volleyball with students from Instituto Levante, directed by Olympic athlete Carolina Solberg. At 1.91 m tall, he dove to defend balls and practiced blocks, applauded by locals and tourists. 'He is tall and can attack. He could be a good player if he practices more,' said Solberg. 'It was a lot of fun, it was the greatest honor for us to be invited to this event. An experience to remember for the rest of our lives.' She highlighted the project as 'a welcoming space' for youth from communities.
During the visit, William announced an initiative to protect Amazon indigenous peoples and environmental defenders, inspired by an African project providing insurance for forest rangers. 'Today, their lives are increasingly at risk, and their lands are under growing threats. If we take the climate crisis and nature restoration seriously, we must support those who defend it,' the prince stated.
The Rio agenda continues until Wednesday, November 5, with the Earthshot Prize ceremony at Museu do Amanhã, an environmental award founded by William in 2020 through the Royal Foundation, for the first time in Latin America. He will be interviewed by Fátima Bernardes and hosted by Luciano Huck. In a video, William told Huck: 'Hi, Luciano. I'm looking forward to seeing you this week. Thank you very much for presenting the Earthshot Prize on Wednesday. See you there.' Afterward, he heads to Belém for COP30, joining the Leaders Summit on November 6 and events like the United for Wildlife Global Summit.
Security is confidential, with restricted press access, amid recent challenges like the police operation in Alemão and Penha complexes.