matt smith would rather England win the World Cup than win an Oscar, and he said it plainly before the England vs Croatia match. The Doctor Who and House of the Dragon star tied that choice to a football life that started long before acting took over.
Leicester City Before Acting
Football, he said, “was my first love and probably is in many ways.” Smith had been a Leicester City youth captain, and he also played for Northampton Town and Nottingham Forest before a back injury forced him to stop and take up acting. That makes the Oscar-versus-World Cup line less like a throwaway and more like a glimpse of where his loyalties formed.
England, Brazil and Russia
“Would I rather win an Oscar over England winning the World Cup? Oh, England winning the World Cup, man. The England team is of great importance in my life. I am a huge, huge football fan,” he said. He added, “If England don't win I want Brazil to win as they are my favourite people. I may go and see some games.”
Smith also said he had to forgo his ticket for England's opening game because he had to work the following day. He described himself as bad luck at England games after seeing the semi-finals in Russia in 2018, when England lost: “We lost. I am bad luck at England games!” That is the awkward part of the story: one of England’s best-known actors is openly invested, but his track record as a spectator does not exactly read like a good omen.
Doctor Who, Daemon and 25 million
Smith’s football admission lands because he is not a niche guest star. He was 26 when he played the Doctor and said he was the youngest actor to ever play the role. He also said people would shout “don't break Doctor Who!” at him in the street, and he later regenerated into Peter Capaldi in the 2013 Christmas special.
House of the Dragon keeps him in front of a large audience, with series two drawing 25 million global viewers per episode. That scale gives his football-first comment extra reach: it is a reminder that some entertainment figures still rank national sport above the industry’s biggest prizes. For Smith, the priority is already clear — England first, Oscar second.
