Nacho Figueras praises his ‘very good friend’ Prince Harry’s ‘commitment to making a difference’ as ‘truly inspiring’ and says he was ‘proud’ to play in the Duke’s Netflix-filmed polo match in Miami

Nacho Figueras has praised his ‘very good friend’ Prince Harry’s ‘commitment to making a difference’ as ‘truly inspiring’ – and said he was ‘proud’ to play in the Duke of Sussex’s Netflix-filmed polo match in Miami.

The Argentinian polo player – who’s been dubbed the ‘David Beckham‘ of the sport – took to his Instagram account to share photographs from the celebrity pro-am game, which benefited Harry’s charity Sentebale.

Nacho – who captained one of the two teams as he went head-to-head against the Duke – was joined at the match by his Argentine socialite wife Delfina Blaquier and their daughter Alba. The Duke was accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle. 

The star-studded event was covered from every angle by an eager Netflix camera crew who filmed the game for an upcoming miniseries that will focus on polo, for which Harry and Meghan will serve as executive producers.

Taking to Instagram yesterday, Nacho – whose friendship with Harry is thought to date back to 2007 – wrote: ‘What an incredible day yesterday at the Grand Champions Polo Club, It was a day not just of sport, but of significant purpose.

Nacho Figueras has praised his ‘very good friend’ Prince Harry’s ‘commitment to making a difference’ as ‘truly inspiring’ – and said he was ‘proud’ to play in the Duke of Sussex’s Netflix-filmed polo match in Miami

‘I’m so proud to have shared this experience with my very good friend, Prince Harry. We came together to support Sentebale, a charity close to our hearts that does remarkable work for children in Lesotho and Botswana. 

‘It’s always an honor to ride alongside Prince Harry, whose commitment to making a difference is truly inspiring.

‘Here’s to more unforgettable moments and continuing to support the wonderful causes that improve so many lives! #PoloForACause #Sentebale #FriendshipAndCharity @sentebale @grandchampionspoloclub.’

They have played polo alongside one another in various matches over the years, and Nacho, 46, has become one of Harry and Meghan’s most vocal supporters, praising them in magazine interviews and during TV appearances.

The father-of-four was also among a handful of the Duke and Duchess’s closest confidantes who appeared in the couple’s Netflix documentary series.

It has also been speculated that Nacho and his glamorous wife Delfina could be regulars in two Netflix series due to be launched by Harry and Meghan as part of their $100 million (£80 million) deal with the streaming giant.

While Meghan’s series is likely to focus on cooking and lifestyle, Harry will showcase his love of polo in another programme as part of the deal – and as the Duke keeps such glamorous and good looking company on the polo field, viewers may find it difficult to switch off.

Figueras said he hopes the show will have the same impact for polo that Formula 1: Drive to Survive had for the worldwide auto racing circuit.

The Argentinian polo player – who’s been dubbed the ‘ David Beckham ‘ of the sport – took to his Instagram account to share photographs from the celebrity pro-am game, which benefited Harry’s charity Sentebale

Nacho – who captained one of the two teams as he went head-to-head against the Duke – was joined at the match by his Argentine socialite wife Delfina Blaquier and their daughter Alba. The Duke was accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle

Taking to Instagram yesterday, Nacho – whose friendship with Harry is thought to date back to 2007 – wrote: ‘ What an incredible day yesterday at the Grand Champions Polo Club, It was a day not just of sport, but of significant purpose

He added that before Friday’s match he and Harry gave each other a lot of ribbing over who would come out victorious, before complementing The Duke on his athleticism. 

‘We joke a lot about who is going to win,’ Figueras said, adding Harry is ‘a very good rider, he’s a very good athlete, he has great eye-hand coordination. He’s very competitive. He’s a very good polo player.’ 

In his first match of the day, Harry’s Royal Salute Sentebale team beat the Maseru Team 1-0, despite the Prince missing an open in-close shot during the match. 

The Duke’s side later stormed to victory over Figueras’ squad, beating them 3-1, after Harry scored the opening goal. He picked up the ball at midfield – 150 yards (137 meters) from the goal – and repeatedly hammered it the rest of the way, popping it through the goal posts. 

He also stopped his friend from a possible breakaway, though he let out a loud yelp of frustration when he missed a pass to a teammate that could have led to a goal.

With Sentebale winning both matches, Harry received the trophy for winning the mini-tournament – and a kiss on the cheek – from Meghan. 

About 300 spectators attended the matches, part of a fundraising weekend that will raise $1 million for Sentebale, which provides support for children and young adults who live in the southern Africa countries of Lesotho and Botswana, organisers said. 

Since 2006, celebrity polo matches around the world have raised about $15 million for the charity, organisers said. 

Meghan Markle was seen congratulating her husband Prince Harry with a passionate kiss after he won a charity polo match in Miami today

Harry and Meghan were joined at the event by Nacho – who is known as the ‘David Beckham of polo’ and his wife, Argentine socialite Delfina Blaquier

According to its latest annual report, Sentabale raised about $6 million overall in its 2022 fiscal year, with about half that coming from the United States. 

Meghan, who was joined at the event by her close friend Serena Williams, put on a sensationally stylish display as she and Harry arrived hand-in-hand at the glitzy charity polo match in Palm Beach, Miami, with a camera crew in tow as they prepared to start filming for their next Netflix special. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, embraced the beaming sunshine in an elegant white dress, which featured a pleated skirt design, halterneck top, and a cut-out at the waist, completing her look with glamorous sunglasses, and a chain-strap shoulder bag. 

She dared to risk potential disaster by sporting a pair of towering heels on the grassy terrain, but seemed to suffer no issue as she and Harry made their way across the field, while surrounded by burly security guards. 

Meanwhile Harry opted for a pair of cream trousers, a pale grey jacket, and a crisp blue shirt, while donning some slip-on tan shoes – before changing into his team uniform and taking to the field for the match. 

The couple were then seen striding out onto the field while surrounded by a crew of cameramen who captured their every move as they chatted with Harry’s teammates. 

Harry and Meghan pulled up at the swish Grand Champions Polo Club in suburban Palm Beach County at around 4:30pm local time, with a film crew in tow shooting their every move. 

The cameras continued to roll as they hopped out of their white SUV with Harry’s Argentine polo player pal Nacho and were led to the clubhouse by excited staff as the Duke prepared to go head-to-head in the charity match against the Argentine star. 

Meghan put on a stunning display as she and Prince Harry, 39, arrived hand-in-hand at the event

Harry has been friends with Nacho for years – and it’s understood that Meghan has formed a close bond with the Argentine polo star’s wife Delfina 

The dapper Duke appeared moments later on a terrace where he was seen chatting with guests and posing for group photos. 

‘He looked the quintessential networker – shaking hands, smiling for photos. He looked in his element,’ one onlooker said. 

While Harry took to the field, Meghan was kept company by her former tennis pro pal Serena, who was seen sipping on a glass of champagne as they mingled with their fellow guests and friends. 

At one point, Serena and Harry enjoyed a warm hug as the Prince checked in on the action away from the match, embracing like old friends – having grown close in the years since the Duke and Duchess began dating. 

Soon after his arrival, Harry changed into his team uniform and took to the field on horseback, getting ready to take on good friend Nacho – with the two men captaining opposing teams in the three-way tournament. 

Harry looked thrilled to be back in the saddle and was seen grinning from ear-to-ear as he warmed up with his teammates on the field.

The Duke is also taking on duties as an executive TV producer this weekend as he takes part in filming for an upcoming Netflix documentary project about the glamorous world of professional polo. 

The show is being produced  the same production company that makes the soccer reality show Welcome to Wrexham, the Disney Plus series documenting the rise of Wrexham A.F.C. after it was bought by Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. 

Meanwhile, Meghan is working on her own non-fiction series for the streaming giant, with which the couple have a five-year production deal that was signed in 2020 and is thought to be worth around $100 million. 

Meghan’s project will focus on lifestyle-centric topics like gardening and cooking in a move that will likely allow her to cross-promote her new brand American Riviera Orchard, while the Duke will delve into the ‘aesthetic and social’ world of polo, a sport that he has played since he was a child. 

According to a statement released by Archewell on Thursday night, the show will ‘provide viewers with unprecedented access to the world of professional polo.’ 

They add: ‘Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level.’