Women’s World Cup: Kylie Minogue slammed for supporting England’s Lionesses over Aussie Matildas: ‘Has she forgotten her roots?’
Kylie Minogue has been slammed by Australian football fans after a video of her supporting the England Lionesses was shared on social media.
The 54-year-old pop princess performed a special spoken voice from her 1987 hit “I Should Be So Lucky,” which was played over footage of England’s victory over the Matildas during Wednesday’s Women’s World Cup semi-finals.
The footage shows thousands of screaming England football fans cheering for the Lionesses as Kylie recited the lyrics: “In my mind a celebration, the sweetest of sentiments, I thought you could be mine.”
The BBC video was meant to unite England’s football fans but quickly divided social media as many questioned why the Melbourne-born and raised pop star was supporting the home England side.
Minogue moved to England in 1991 to further her career and lived there for 30 years before returning to Australia in early 2022.
Kylie Minogue has been slammed by Australian football fans after a video of her supporting the England Lionesses was shared on social media
Footage of Australia’s pop princess seemingly cheering for England sparked anger from some Australian fans, who were quick to express their displeasure.
“Kylie is Australian from head to toe. She loves England but Australia will always be home,” wrote one disgruntled fan, and others quickly agreed.
In a stunning final on Sunday, England failed to break their 57-year World Cup losing streak, losing 1-0 to La Roja of Spain.
The 54-year-old pop princess performed a special spoken voice from her 1987 hit “I Should Be So Lucky,” which was played over footage of England’s victory over the Matildas during Wednesday’s Women’s World Cup semi-finals
Meanwhile, Nikki Webster’s 2001 hit “Strawberry Kisses” became Matildas’ unofficial anthem for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
On Sunday, the 36-year-old pop star serenaded the Australian players with her famous song at an official ceremony on the Riverstage in Brisbane, honoring the team for fourth place in the highly publicized tournament.
Nikki, who rose to fame in 2000 for her performance at the Sydney Olympics, was in her element as she got up close and personal with the athletes and read the lyrics to thousands of fans.
The BBC video was meant to unite England’s football fans but quickly divided social media as many questioned why the Melbourne-born and raised pop star was supporting the home England side. Pictured: Matilda’s star striker Sam Kerr
The Matildas were on stage for almost an hour as their tremendous athletic achievement was recognized when out of nowhere Nikki appeared to perform for them.
The players were enthralled by their performance and began dancing exuberantly together, with star striker Sam Kerr and goaltender Mackenzie Arnold even sharing the mic with Nikki at times.
The Matildas were delighted to finally be able to relax after a grueling finals in which they finished fourth after losing to Sweden on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Nikki Webster performed her legendary hit ‘Strawberry Kisses’ during an official Matildas celebration at the Riverstage in Brisbane on Sunday after the team lost to Sweden in the semifinals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. (LR: Nikki Webster, Sam Kerr)