On May 14, the Prince of Wales, 41, congratulated his favorite soccer team Aston Villa on reaching the UEFA Champions League for the first time in a personal message on social media.

“We are Champions League!” Prince William wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “A historic season and an amazing achievement. Thanks to Unai, the whole squad and everyone at @AVFCOfficial.”

“Can’t wait for next season. #UTV!” he added, signing off “W.” Prince William and wife Kate Middleton are known to sign messages that come directly from them on their shared @KensingtonRoyal account with their first initials, with William often penning posts about big news in the British soccer world.

Aston Villa’s historic achievement came after securing fourth place in the Premier League Tuesday night as rivals Tottenham Hotspur were defeated by Manchester City. Villa last reached the premier club competition in 1991-92.

“It’s a very special day today,” Villa’s head coach Unai Emery said, per the team’s official website. “It’s our dream, it was our dream when we started the season to be here.”

“When you are playing in the Champions League you are playing against the best teams, at the same time, from other countries. And it’s amazing,” he continued. “…Next year, now the new challenge starts for us. To build again a team, being strong and being strong to go and always increase our level.”

Prince William has frequently shown out to support Aston Villa at soccer games in the U.K. and has declared the soccer team his favorite since college.

The prince, who is president of the Football Association, last attended the team’s match against Greek team Olympiacos in the first round of the Europa Conference League semi-final at Villa Park in Birmingham, U.K., on May 2. William closely followed the game from his spot in a luxury box and had plenty of animated reactions to the action on the field, including some excited cheers and smiles.

Though his team ultimately lost the match, a close source tells PEOPLE that watching Aston Villa has given Prince William a lift as both his wife, Kate Middleton, and father, King Charles, are undergoing treatment for cancer.

“He has been hugely buoyed by the results of Aston Villa,” the source says. “You shouldn’t overlook the importance of soccer in these moments.”

The May 2 game (which fell on Princess Charlotte’s 9th birthday) marked the second time in recent weeks that William has supported Aston Villa from the stands. He and his 10-year-old son Prince George, who has inherited his father’s passion for the team, attended Villa’s match against Lille OSC during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 quarterfinal in Birmingham on April 11.

Prince George adorably sported a scarf in the squad’s colors as they saw their team clinch the win with a score of 2-1.

Afterward, the royal dad confirmed his eldest son was following in his footsteps as a Villa fan.

As he left the stadium, Prince William was asked if Prince George was now “part of the pride,” a phrase Villa supporters use to describe their team’s followers.

“Oh yes, he’s loving it,” William replied, according to sports journalist Neil Moxley on X.