# Outside of the US, do championship-winning sports teams get invited to visit the Head of State **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** factual\ **Created:** [March 7, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282 "2026-03-07T18:24:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/1 "2026-03-07T18:24:25Z")
Like if Arsenal win the Premier League, should they expect an invitation from King Charles III to enjoy a few pints at Balmoral? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2026, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/2 "2026-03-07T18:37:21Z")
**Moderating:** Moved from #Factual Questions to #The Game Room as basically a sports question. I tagged it Factual to try and get the answers to be factual until answers, so please no WAGs and anecdotes until answered. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/3 "2026-03-07T19:13:38Z")
I guess the answer is sometimes. This article mentions the World Cup champion Argentine team visited there president in 1978 and 1986 but decided to not go in 2022. > **[President says players didn’t offend him with Casa Rosada snub](https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/argentinas-president-alberto-fernandez-plays-down-snub-by-world-cup-winners.phtml#:~:text=Alberto%2520Fern%C3%A1ndez%252C%2520the%2520president%2520of%2520Argentina%252C%2520has,not%2520want%2520to%2520mix%2520football%2520and%2520politics)** > > Political tensions rise amid back-and-forth over the non-visit of Argentina’s players to the Casa Rosada; Alberto Fernández plays down row, brands himself “president of three cups.” ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/4 "2026-03-07T19:13:57Z")
I would be astounded if the tradition wasn’t nearly universal. > **[Meeting with winners and medallists of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics...](http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68284)** > > Vladimir Putin met with the winners and medallists of the XXIV Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and members of the Russian Paralympic team in the Grand Kremlin Palace’s St George Hall. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2026, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/5 "2026-03-08T07:40:16Z")
It is not unusual in Australia for individuals and teams winning who have performed well or won international events eg Olympics or World Cups to get a invitation from the Prime Minister to a reception at Yarralumbah or Kirribilli House. What doesn’t happen is that individuals and teams/clubs winning domestic competitions get an invitation by the Prime Minister. If they do get an invitation in recognition it will be from their State Premier. I note that the two examples cited above (Argentia/USSR) are also for international honours. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/6 "2026-04-04T19:34:43Z")
You’d have to draw a distinction here between national teams that represent the country versus individual clubs within the country. For the former, invites of winning teams to see the head of state are surely very common. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/7 "2026-04-05T18:35:10Z")
I would think World Cup winners would. I was thinking of North Korea from 8-12 years ago when they were in the world cup. You better believe if they had somehow won it, Kim would have been posing with them like crazy. They’d be on posters around the nation. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/8 "2026-04-05T18:40:55Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I would think World Cup winners would. Did Queen Elizabeth II invite the 1966 World Cup-winning England side to one of her homes? Did Harold Wilson invite them to 10 Downing Street? I’m asking for knowledge, not being snarky or facetious. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/9 "2026-04-05T18:56:21Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Did Queen Elizabeth II invite the 1966 World Cup-winning England side to one of her homes? Did Harold Wilson invite them to 10 Downing Street? I’m not sure if that’s a good example. The final was at Wembley. The queen presented the trophy. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/10 "2026-04-05T19:03:37Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The final was at Wembley. They won the World Cup _at home_?!?!?!?!? Jesus, did any work get done at all in England for the next few days after that? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-of-the-us-do-championship-winning-sports-teams-get-invited-to-visit-the-head-of-state/1028282/11 "2026-04-05T19:41:07Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > They won the World Cup _at home_?!?!?!?!? Jesus, did any work get done at all in England for the next few days after that? It’s pretty crazy. Now imagine you are Brazilian and you attend the semifinal where they lost 7-1. Nightmare. Living nightmare.