Arsenal have an estimated 100 million fans worldwide.
While each one is as important as the other, some are more well-known than others – and we don’t mean Robbie from ArsenalFanTV or Piers Morgan.
From rappers to sporting superstars, here is a list of Arsenal’s most famous fans.
1
Sir Keir Starmer
British Prime Minister
Sir Keir Starmer is a lifelong Arsenal fan and has been a season ticket holder at the Emirates for many years.
“I enjoy the release,” Starmer in an interview with The Telegraph earlier this year. “Whether it’s playing football, and I still play, or watching football, it takes you completely away from the day job.”
After becoming Prime Minister in July, Starmer has been watching Arsenal’s games from a corporate box instead of his regular seat – an arrangement he was forced to defend to the BBC.
“I’ve had a season ticket for many, many years. I’m a regular attender but now, for security reasons, I can’t go in the stands, and therefore the club have made arrangements for me to watch from elsewhere,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”
2
Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1 driver
Lewis Hamilton has long professed to be an Arsenal fan, so it raised more than just a few eyebrows in 2022 when it was revealed he had joined a consortium led by Sir Martin Broughton that was trying to buy rivals Chelsea.
At the time, the Formula 1 star even seemed to deny he was a true Arsenal supporter.
“I remember 5, 6 years old that I then became a supporter of Arsenal. But my Uncle Terry is a big Blues fan, so I’ve been to so many games with him to watch Arsenal and Chelsea play,” he told the press ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
“Ultimately, I’m a sporting fan. It is the biggest sport in the world and Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and most successful.” The bid, of course, failed, and Hamilton has since gone back to professing to be an Arsenal fan.
3
Jay-Z
Rapper & entrepreneur
It was Thierry Henry that prompted Jay-Z to start following Arsenal in the mid-noughties.
“I saw him play, and I just thought he was an amazing player,” the rapper and music mogul explained in an interview with Arsenal Magazine in 2010.
“Ever since then I have been a big fan of the club, following you guys, and still today you play the beautiful football that Thierry did. I think he had a real long-term effect on the team.”
In the same interview, the 99 Problems rapper hinted that he might one day buy shares in the Gunners if “the opportunity presented itself”, but that has yet to happen.
4
Kevin Costner
Actor
Ahead of the 1998 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Newcastle United, Hollywood star Kevin Costner revealed he was a Gooner in an interview with Sky Sports.
Costner told Sky that he first went to watch the Gunners play while shooting the film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” in 1991, and that he has been a fan since.
“I wasn’t prepared for the passion that came with that game, I wasn’t prepared for the fans and how they adored their team, I wasn’t prepared for the emotion,” he explained.
He’s since been back to watch Arsenal on numerous occasions, including in 2014, when he was in the stands to see Arsene Wenger’s side beat take on Aston Villa in the Premier League.
5
Anne Hathaway
Actress
Anne Hathaway managed to keep her love for Arsenal secret until she let it slip during a junket for her movie “The Idea of You” earlier this year.
Between interviews, Hathaway’s co-star Nicholas Galitzine celebrated after checking his phone to find out that the Gunners had gone a goal up against Wolves last season.
Hathaway seemed excited by the news, and after Galitzine had confirmed that it was Leandro Trossard who had scored, Hathaway responded by leaning forward in her chair and professing her love for the Belgian.
“Sorry, we’re both fans of the same team, and there’s a match going on right now, and during our last interview they scored,” she went on to explain.
6
Christian McCaffrey
NFL star
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has been an Arsenal fan since watching them play during a pre-season trip to the United States in 2019.
After seeing Unai Emery’s side thump Serie A side Fiorentina 3-0 in the International Champions Cup at the Bank of America Stadium, McCaffrey announced his support for the Gunners in a video on the club’s social media pages.
“Arsenal fans, it’s official. A huge announcement from me, Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers running back, I’m officially a Gooner!” he said.
7
Kim Kardashian
TV personality
Last year, Kim Kardashian was spotted in a box at the Emirates watching Arsenal play Sporting CP in the Europa League alongside son Saint and a group of friends.
The trip was filmed and later aired on her family’s reality show, “The Kardashians,” during which she said: “This is like a dream come true. I played soccer, so I want to make sure Saint has so much fun and falls in love with the sport.”
She also revealed during the episode that their favourite Arsenal player is Bukayo Saka.
Being the sweetheart that he is, Saka later spoke with Kim and Saint on FaceTime, telling the pair: “Sorry I missed you guys yesterday. They said that you was in the players’ lounge. I had one shirt for you.”
8
Daniel Kaluuya
Actor
Daniel Kaluuya’s acting resume is seriously impressive. To name but a few, he’s starred in hit films like Get Out, Black Panther and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, while he also won an Oscar for his performance in 2021’s Judas and the Black Messiah.
Also in his CV is his work narrating Amazon Prime series All or Nothing: Arsenal, which documented the Gunners’ 2021/22 season from behind the scenes.
Speaking at the premiere of the series, Kaluuya told JOE: “The best thing about being an Arsenal fan is that we’re the best.”
After a brief pause and a laugh, he then added: “And the worst thing, we’re w******. I can’t even lie.”
