Kelci-Rose Bowers, a 22-year-old English footballer and partner of Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina defender Marcos Senesi, has openly supported Argentina throughout the World Cup, wearing their colours at multiple matches. Despite her roots in Fareham, Hampshire, and having represented England at under-21 level, Bowers has been cheering for La Albiceleste as they face England in the semi-final on Wednesday evening in Atlanta.
Background and Football Career
Bowers, who recently left Bournemouth, spent most of her life in the UK and played for Chelsea and Southampton during her youth. She also played for Louisiana State University in the United States before returning to Britain, settling in Portsmouth. At Bournemouth, she met Senesi, a former Cherries centre-back. Bowers initially joined Bournemouth on loan for the 2023-24 season before making the move permanent, recording 70 appearances and scoring 11 goals. During her time there, she won the FA Women's National League Division One South West title, the National League Plate, and the National League Cup. Bournemouth announced her departure on June 5.
Support for Argentina
Bowers has documented her support for Argentina on Instagram, where she has 335,000 followers. One post asked fans which Argentina shirt she should wear ahead of the group-stage win over Austria. During the round of 16 match against Egypt, which Argentina won 3-2, she wore a blue denim jacket with Argentina theming. She captioned a photo collection: "About yesterday... It's hard to put into words, something we have all dreamed about, you never fail to make us all so proud, wherever you are, we follow!" Senesi replied: "Thank you for always being there xx love you!"
For the quarter-final against Switzerland, which Argentina won 3-1, Bowers again wore Argentina colours and captioned her post: "About yesterday." Senesi has made one appearance in the tournament, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 victory over Jordan in the final group match.
Potential Backlash
Bowers' switch to supporting Argentina may be unpopular among England supporters due to the intense rivalry. In 2022, she posted a photo of herself in an England women's national team shirt, writing: "Always an honour to wear this shirt." Senesi joined Tottenham on a free transfer this summer and was a late addition to Argentina's World Cup squad after Leonardo Balerdi withdrew due to injury.
