What teams does Joel Embiid root for?
Joel Embiid, who has played for the Philadelphia 76ers since they drafted him third overall in 2014, follows three clubs outside the NBA. Two are Arsenal of the Premier League, based in London, and Real Madrid of La Liga, based in Madrid. The third is Flamengo. All three are listed as current, and none has an end date.
Does Joel Embiid like Arsenal?
Yes, and it is the best documented of the three. SI wrote on January 12, 2018 that "Joel Embiid is a big Arsenal fan and he gave us some insight into why on Thursday." Sportskeeda picked up his post after an Arsenal win on October 8, 2023, which read "Massive win!!!! Gooners."
The most recent word came to the Inquirer.com on January 30, 2024, when he said: "I'm not even going to mention Arsenal because I don't want to be the reason why they lose." He was joking about his own effect on the team's results. Sources from 2018 through 2024 describe the fandom as current, which makes it the longest-running of the three.
Does Joel Embiid like Real Madrid?
Reportedly, yes. ClutchPoints wrote on June 4, 2017 that "He was an avid supporter for Real Madrid." That line is the writer's description, not a statement from Embiid, and the later coverage is the same kind of source.
Sportskeeda reported on July 18, 2023 that "Joel Embiid is a fan of both Lionel Messi and Real Madrid." SI wrote on January 30, 2024 that "Embiid remains an avid Arsenal and Real Madrid fan." Taken together, the coverage runs from 2017 to 2024 and treats the Real Madrid fandom as ongoing, alongside the Arsenal one.
Does Joel Embiid like Flamengo?
Reportedly, yes. This is the thinnest of the three, since it rests on one outlet, CNN Brasil, in an article about May 2023. The article points back to a 2019 tweet from Embiid that read "Vamos Flamengo." The tweet went up on the day Flamengo won its second Copa Libertadores title.
Because the evidence is a single post reported by one outlet, it is best described as a reported fandom. It shows he cheered for the club publicly in 2019. It does not say how long he has followed the team or whether he has said more about it since.
How does Embiid's fandom line up with where he is from?
Embiid was born on March 16, 1994 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Luc Mbah a Moute, a fellow native of Yaoundé and an NBA player, discovered him at a basketball camp and became his mentor. At age 16 Embiid moved to the United States to pursue a professional basketball career.
None of the three clubs is tied to Cameroon or to the United States in the available sourcing, and no source says what drew him to any of them. He went on to play college basketball at Kansas in 2013 and 2014 before joining Philadelphia, but none of the three clubs has a link to either place in the reporting. The only point where his career overlaps with his fandoms is timing, since the earliest Real Madrid coverage dates from June 2017, three years into his time with the 76ers.
Which other athletes share his teams?
Two other players are linked to Arsenal. Giannis Antetokounmpo has said he is still an Arsenal fan deep down, and Jaylen Brown has been reported as one. Antetokounmpo has also been reported as a Real Madrid fan. No other players are listed as Flamengo fans.
Questions people ask
What is Joel Embiid's favorite soccer team?
Arsenal is the club he has spoken about most directly. SI wrote in 2018 that he is a big fan, he posted "Massive win!!!! Gooners" in 2023, and he mentioned the club to the Inquirer.com in January 2024. Coverage also names Real Madrid, and CNN Brasil reported Flamengo, but no source ranks the three.
Does Joel Embiid like Arsenal?
Yes. SI described him as a big Arsenal fan in January 2018, and he was still talking about the club in January 2024.
Does Joel Embiid like Real Madrid?
Reportedly, yes. ClutchPoints called him an avid supporter in 2017, and SI said in January 2024 that he remains an avid Real Madrid fan.
Does Joel Embiid like Flamengo?
Reportedly, yes. CNN Brasil pointed to his 2019 tweet "Vamos Flamengo," posted the day Flamengo won its second Copa Libertadores title.