Golf stars Rory McIlroy of Ireland and Tommy Fleetwood of England were prevented from watching England's FIFA World Cup match while attending the Wimbledon tennis championships from seats in the Royal Box.
British news agency PA Media reported that Fleetwood, an Everton supporter, was forced to miss watching his club's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in England's match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, after Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Club, confirmed that Wimbledon had decided to ban the use of mobile phones in the Royal Box.
England's match against the Democratic Republic of Congo coincided with several matches at the prestigious tennis tournament, and Wimbledon organisers did not screen the 2026 World Cup match on any of the championship's grass-court venue screens, leaving spectators free to choose between following the tennis matches or the World Cup.
Royal Box guests are subject to different rules, while other guests were not prevented from watching the England match on their mobile phones.
Many of the golf stars present in the Royal Box at Centre Court are passionate football fans — British player Justin Rose supports Chelsea, while English player Luke Donald supports Tottenham.