Prince William kicks off Brazil tour with beach volleyball ahead of COP30

Prince William starts his week-long tour of Brazil with light-hearted sports moments. 

The Prince of Wales was seen blending effortlessly with Brazilian culture, kicking off his trip at the iconic Maracana Stadium for a penalty shootout before heading to the world-famous Copacabana Beach where he was seen enjoying playing a barefoot game of volleyball.

The day started with a ceremonial welcome of the British throne heir from Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, who presented William with the keys to the city during an event atop Sugarloaf mountain.

The Prince joked, “So he’s got the keys, he can do whatever he wants in the next 72 hours. The city belongs to Prince William.”

Beside having a light-hearted moment, the Prince also highlighted the core mission of his visit. 

He emphasized the dire need for leadership while meeting young environmental campaigners with Brazilian football legend Cafu.

“I need to work out how do I speed that up, but you guys are my hope, you’ve got the passion, the ambition that’s what this needs,” he said.

He also shared enthusiastically that his legacy would be to see them become “household names” for their environmental work.

Prince William’s tour is strategically aligned with two key environmental events that are going to be held in Brazil.

On Wednesday, November 05, he will be hosting the annual “Earthshot Awards Ceremony,” celebrating innovative and sustainable solutions to the current environmental hazards.

Later, from November 10, 2025 to November 21, 2025, he is scheduled to participate in COP30.

COP 30 is the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

It is the annual United Nations meeting for governments, scientists, and other stakeholders to negotiate and discuss climate change action and its implementation.

For Tuesday, November 4, Prince’s agenda is more focused on his environmental work with a series of planned visits.