WAGs (Wives And Girlfriends) unite the world of sport and celebrities. The tabloids’ obsession with WAGs gained traction in 1997 when David Beckham, the then Manchester United superstar, started dating Victoria Adams (now Victoria Beckham) of the chart-topping pop group Spice Girls. Both were at the peak of their careers then, and continue to share the spotlight to this day.
While some WAGs have gained popularity thanks to their goal-scoring partners, others have made their headlines through their own careers. Here are 10 football WAGs, with exceptional careers, who made a name for themselves.
Shakira
With David Beckham retired, the mantle of the most famous football partner passed on to Barcelona defender Gerard Pique‘s wife Shakira – having sold more than 75 million records worldwide and won a hat-trick of Grammy awards. In 2020, Shakira became the first ever female artist to have four songs from different decades hit 100 million streams on Spotify.
The couple met on the set of the music video for Shakira’s song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official song of the 2010 World Cup. They are now parents to two sons – Mila and Sasha.
Anna Lewandowska
Anna Lewandowska can take care of herself, thank you very much. She boasts an impressive resume, being a graduate from the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw, with two Master’s degrees and has won multiple medals from the International Karate Championships. At-present, she is the President of Foods by Ann, a food line, while running a successful website ‘Healthy Plan by Ann’, which specialises in health and nutrition. Lewandowska is also giving back to the world of sports as the President of the Special Olympics for Poland.
Lewandowska is married to Robert Lewandowski, Poland’s national team captain and two-time FIFA Player of the Year. The couple, who has been married for eight years, have two daughters, Klara, and Laura.
Han Hye-jin
Han Hye-jin is a South Korean actress who made her breakthrough starring as a young widow in the hit 2005 drama “Be Strong, Geum-soon!”. In 2020, she starred in the tvN drama “Mothers” as a working mum trying to raise her young daughter. Apart from acting, she has also hosted a popular talk show “Healing Camp” while making appearances in variety shows like “Running Man”.
Han married former Swansea City and Newcastle United midfielder Ki Sung-yueng (currently playing for FC Seoul) in 2013 when he was on loan at Sunderland. The pair subsequently became parents to a daughter in 2015.
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Alex Morgan
An iconic figure in the American football scene, Alex rose from an unknown college athlete to one of the most famous female footballers in the world. She was first called up to play for the senior Women’s National Team in 2010. The following year, her team finished second in the 2011 World Cup, where she was the youngest player. Her success did not stop there as she proceeded to score the winning header against Canada at the London Olympics semi-finals.
To add to her accolades, Morgan was one of the first women footballers to make it on the cover of a FIFA video game, appearing alongside Lionel Messi on FIFA16. It can be argued that Morgan is much more famous than her other half, former MLS midfielder Servando Carrasco, who she married in 2015. The couple welcomed a daughter in 2020.
Perrie Edwards
Perrie Edwards is an English singer and member of popular British girl group, Little Mix. Little Mix was formed in 2011, on the eighth season of The X Factor. They have five UK number-one singles, including “Shout Out to My Ex” in 2016 and “Sweet Melody” in 2021. The group has sold over 60 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time in the UK.
Since 2017, Perrie Edwards, who was previously engaged to One Direction’s Zayn Malik, has been dating Liverpool FC’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The couple are now parents to a baby daughter, Axel.
Jordyn Huitema
Jordyn Huitema is a Canadian professional footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and the Canadian national team. Just last year, Huitema scored in a 3-0 win over Dijon to clinch the league title, a first for her club, and also put an end to a 14-year winning streak by league rivals Lyon. When she was 19, she became the first Canadian player to score with the country’s U17, U20 and senior national teams, all in a single calendar year.
Huitema has been in a relationship with Alphonso Davies, a fellow Canadian footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and the Canadian national team, for about five years now.
Lisa Trede
Trede is a professional dressage rider and trainer who has won multiple state and national competitions. She won a sliver at the Bavarian U25 state championships and also the Stuttgart German Masters which qualified her for the German Masters where she placed third.
In 2009, Lisa tied the knot with Bayern Munich player Thomas Muller. The couple frequently pose for Instagram photos with their horse, ‘Dave’.
Edurne Garcia
Garcia was selected to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Garcia realised her passion for singing at a young age and joined a music group when she was just nine. She gained prominence when she participated in a Spanish talent show which led to the release of her first studio album “Edurne”.
Garcia has also frequently appeared on TV shows and films where her acting was received with acclaim. She is married to Manchester United’s goalkeeper, David De Gea. In 2021, The couple welcomed their first child and daughter, Yanay.
Izabel Goulart
Being a former Victoria’s Secret Angel, supermodel Izabel Goulart is no stranger to the limelight. Goulart has walked the runway for many of the world’s biggest fashion houses like Armani Exchange and has even appeared on the covers of popular magazines such as GQ Mexico, Vogue Brasil and Marie Claire France.
In 2015, Goulart started dating Kevin Trapp, Eintracht Frankfurt’s goalkeeper. The couple have since gotten engaged.
Charlotte Pirroni
As the granddaughter of Louis Pirroni, the former coach of AS Monaco, Charlotte Pirroni is no stranger to the world of football. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management with a major in luxury fashion and design. Beyond her academic achievements, she found great success where she was elected Miss Côte d’Azur and finished second runner-up in the Miss France pageant. Additionally, she also became a columnist in ‘Do not touch my TV!”, a French entertainment talk show.
In 2020, Pirroni welcomed a son, Alessio, with partner Florian Thauvin, a French international footballer who plays at the Tigres UANL.
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