Many professional footballers today are categorized as "players." Indeed, this classification applies to their skillfulness and playing ability on the soccer field, but it additionally speaks to their charm and game they have with the ladies. It is not uncommon for a pro "player" to have a long list of models and actresses, otherwise known as WAGs, with whom they have had casual hookups and romantic relationships. Conversely, many of the great footballers play by a different set of rules and have shown the world that true love is possible and love stories exist. Below are 10of the most lovable couples in the world of soccer who play that gentleman game, from childhood sweethearts to "Posh and Becks," the ultimate soccer power couple.
Soccer Power Couples And Love Stories
Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo
Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo: Married. pic.twitter.com/MCKQKEaWOu
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 1, 2017
Antonella Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi celebrate their honeymoon in the Caribbean. pic.twitter.com/sEtQkfOUnJ
— vs Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) July 9, 2017
Holiday picture: Lionel Messi and his girlfriend Antonella. [instagram] #fcblive pic.twitter.com/RqQvKQNqHn
— Papers Of Barça (@PapersOfBarca) July 13, 2016
Lionel Messi’s Wag Antonella Roccuzzo shares touching message after missed penalty cost Argentina victory against Iceland https://t.co/5Lx7sy9KlZ pic.twitter.com/tdmAsuwQEy
— SPORTLAJU (@sportlaju) June 20, 2018
When Messi was 9 years old his friend Lucas Scaglia introduced him to his cousin, Antonella. Lionel better-known as Leo at the time, Lucas and Antonella began spending much of their time together in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina, playing around the shore of the Parana River. At the young age of 9, Messi declared that one day Antonella would be his girlfriend and in 2008 the world discovered that Messi’s proclamation would come true.
When Messi was 21 years old he announced that he had a girlfriend, Antonella Roccuzzo. In 2012 it was announced that Antonella was pregnant with their first son, Thiago. Their second son, Mateo was introduced to the world in September of 2015. The lovebirds were married on June 30, 2017, and it seems these two are meant to be together forever.
Luis Suarez and Sofia Balbi
Luis Suarez and Sofia Balbi is the teenager-sweetheart, they met in 2001 when Suarez was a street sweeper in Uruguay. pic.twitter.com/mWhSUj1t2u
— #Messi552 (@Messified10) July 11, 2014
Luis Suarez, Sofia Balbi, Shakira and Gerard Pique lead the stars at Lionel Messi's wedding to childhood sweethearthttps://t.co/KHsc1asGap pic.twitter.com/x2lvkiHlVw
— Mirror Celeb (@MirrorCeleb) July 1, 2017
Luis Suarez wasn’t always a renowned footballer with piles of money at the snap of a finger. Suarez began playing soccer when he was 6 but quit shortly after he began because of his father leaving him and his young family.
He began working as a street sweeper and soon enough began playing soccer again when he learned how to balance his life. Although he had found balance, he showed signs of extreme aggression on the field and was threatened by coaches constantly warning him he would be removed from playing soccer forever.
When he was 15 years old he met 13-year-old Sofia Balbi and everything changed for Suarez. He turned his act around, which he has reported was due to Sofia. "At 15, I found a girlfriend and that sorted my head out," Suarez has said. "It helped me realize how important football was for me."
A few years after Luis and Sofia met, she and her family moved to Barcelona. Luis was determined to somehow get there and reunite with Sofia. He worked hard enough to go pro and was signed in Europe by the club team Groningen in 2006, which was at least on the same continent as Sofia. They were married in 2009 and now have a daughter and son together, Delfina (7) and Benjamin (4). The cuties even got matching lion tattoos on their left index fingers to represent their forever-lasting love.
Fernando Torres and Olalla Dominguez
This story began when Fernando and Olalla were teenagers. Fernando was raised in Fuenlabrada, a busy city near Madrid. His family would travel to a smaller beach town, Estorde, Cee, to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city over the holidays. Fernando’s father was born in the beach town and was friends with Olalla’s family. Fernando and Olalla became family friends and would spend all of their time together during Fernando’s vacation.
In 2001, at ages 16 and 17, the two became a couple and have been together since. In May 2009 they were married and their wedding differentiated from other professional soccer players' wedding ceremonies. Olalla has been described as shy and as having the preference to stay out of the limelight, which can explain their decision of being married in a private ceremony in front of only two guests. Their daughter, Nora, was born shortly after they married in 2009 and their son, Leo, was born a year later in 2010.
Eden Hazard and Natasha Van Honacker
Natasha Hazard and Eden Hazard @hazardeden10 #WagsChelsea pic.twitter.com/8jY1UpeaNd
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaSoul) January 21, 2014
Eden Hazard with her wife Natasha and his son, Yanis pic.twitter.com/g7U0JGYeIw
— Vincent Leonardi (@LeonardiVincent) November 2, 2013
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And Last...Eden,Natasha,Yannis,and Leo hazard pic.twitter.com/rrCAMmJP4l— Muhammad Azzam (@Kusogakii_) July 24, 2014
Eden and Natasha are a more mysterious romance. Natasha is known for being extremely private, so only the basics of their relationship are public knowledge. The two met at 14 years old while growing up in Belgium and bonded over their love for playing soccer.
Eden fell head-over-heels for Natasha’s bookworm facade and for her passion for learning, reading and chess. They stayed together throughout high school and after they graduated Natasha moved in with Eden in 2009. They were married in 2012 and now live together in London with their three sons, Yannis (7), Leo (5) and Sammy (2).
Gareth Bale and Emma Rhys-Jones
Congrats to Gareth Bale and Emma Rhys-Jones. They have become parents for the first time to a baby girl. pic.twitter.com/PnANjTfT
— IndoSpurs Palembang (@IndoSpurs_Plg) October 24, 2012
Congratulations to @GarethBale11 and Emma Rhys-Jones on their engagement! https://t.co/Uw7YlC4zYn pic.twitter.com/eEwXPkmHp6
— HELLO! (@hellomag) July 17, 2016
Gareth Bale with his girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones and daughter Alba Violet. Beautiful family. pic.twitter.com/B7RudzWjkL
— SupportingBale (@SupportingBale) October 14, 2014
Gareth and Emma were high school sweethearts who began dating in the early 2000s while attending Whitchurch High School in Wales. Over the years the couple has been quiet about the relationship.
Emma kept a low profile as a hairdresser until 2012 when the couple had two daughters, Alba in 2012 and Nava Valentine in 2016. Gareth proposed to Emma in 2016 (on his birthday) and for once was not shy about letting the world know that she said yes.
The two planned to tie the knot at Vincigliata Castle in beautiful Tuscany, but have had to postpone the wedding due to Emma’s family troubles. Apparently, her family is reportedly caught up in a "drug feud." Shortly after their engagement, Emma’s grandparents were forced to leave their home when bricks were thrown through their windows and their car was set on fire. It was reported that drugs worth over 1 million euros were found inside Grandma and Grandpa’s home.
Along with the drug situation, Martin Rhys-Jones, Emma’s father, was jailed in 2012 for money laundering, a purported $2.9 million fraud. Emma’s pop is due to be released in early 2018. So, for these "small inconveniences," the couple has had to postpone the wedding.
In the meantime, Gareth and Emma brought their third child into the world on May 8, 2018, Axel Charles Bale. Although the couple has dealt with some high-octane drama over the past few years, they have remained calm, cool and collected, not to mention completely in love (from what we can tell). Gareth continues to dedicate every goal with his signature "love heart celebration," which is always dedicated to his one true love, Emma Rhys-Jones.
David and Victoria Beckham
Victoria and David Beckham wearing matching Leather outfits at a @Versace party in London in 1999! #VictoriaAt40 pic.twitter.com/p9Du6a8sk5
— Spice Girls (@SpiceGirlsNet) April 17, 2014
After proving they’re stronger than ever amid split rumours, see Victoria and David Beckham’s cutest pics https://t.co/pULEt0qjKU pic.twitter.com/yZj9wYxEdO
— Now (@celebsnow) June 20, 2018
Victoria Beckham reveals she and husband David are ‘learning’ about fine art https://t.co/k0PQXtqMOW pic.twitter.com/RBxFuhbiMa
— Alex Jaffreys (@AlexJaffreys) June 22, 2018
Proud David Beckham shares sweet snap of his family from glamorous beach party https://t.co/9cIjCelrWK pic.twitter.com/CEGTMeyx5j
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) January 1, 2017
Victoria and David Beckham, otherwise known as Posh and Becks, are one of the most iconic couples of this century. Their love story began when David met the Spice Girls singer at a charity soccer game in London in 1997. Beckham apparently turned around to his fellow player and friend Gary Neville pointed to Victoria and said: "That one there, that’s the girl I’m going to marry."
The next night they ran into each other and Beckham mustered up the courage to ask her for her phone number. Victoria reported to W Magazine that she didn’t know who David was at the time, because she was never into football, but that she knew he was different from the typical pro soccer player at the time: "He was always with his mom, dad and sister while a lot of the footballers were at the bar getting drunk. I could sense right from the start that David was a gentleman and very family-oriented, which is important because I’m the same."
The two were married in 1999 at Luttrellstown Castle and Gary Neville was the groom’s best man. The couple was nicknamed "Posh and Becks" and their home was called "Beckingham Palace." They have four children together: Brooklyn (19), Romeo (15), Cruz (13) and Harper (6).
Lauren and Jrue Holiday
Lauren Cheney (at the time) and Jrue Holiday were both athletes at UCLA in 2006. Lauren was the star midfielder on the women’s soccer team and Jrue was a tenacious defender for the men’s basketball team. The two hit it off while watching a women’s basketball game during Jrue’s freshman year and Lauren’s junior year after a fan stopped to ask Jrue if he was Darren Collison and if they could receive an autograph. He explained that he wasn’t Collison and after he took his seat he was tapped on the shoulder by a woman sitting behind him who said, "Don’t worry, you’re cuter than Darren is."
That woman was Lauren Cheney and the interaction quickly led to a romantic relationship. After school, Jrue was drafted as a star guard on the New Orleans Pelicans and Lauren signed with Kansas City FC and the USWNT. They got married in 2013 and had their daughter Jrue Tyler (J.T.) in September 2016. Around this time it seemed like everything was falling into place for Lauren and Jrue; they had found each other, they had their dream careers and they had their beautiful daughter J.T. on her way, but things started to go awry during Lauren’s pregnancy.
After reoccurring migraines, Lauren had a medical examination and a tumor was discovered behind her right eye. Surgery was needed immediately, which meant J.T. wasn’t going to be able to come into the world on her own time. With a huge surgery and induced labor on their way, Jrue made the announcement that he needed to be with his wife and was going to have to leave the Pelicans. He was reported saying: "If they don’t want me to do that, I probably won’t play basketball again."
Luckily, the Pelicans supported Jrue in his decision and allowed him to miss all of camp, preseason and the first 12 regular-season games. After six months, Lauren made a full recovery and J.T. was as healthy as a horse, so Jrue returned to basketball. The family is back on track and although Lauren and J.T. can’t make it to every game, they have a routine family FaceTime session before Jrue enters the court, and he will be blowing kisses across the country to his two favorite girls.
Thomas Müller and Lisa Trede
The charming pair met through mutual friends in 2006 when they were both 17. Two years later he proposed to her on Christmas Eve in front of her parents’ home. They were married in 2009 and lived a quiet life for two 20-year-olds.
They enjoy spending their time at home with their dogs and horses. Now 28, they are a prime example of young love, always laughing, spending all of their free time together and never taking their hands off of each other.
Aaron and Colleen Ramsey
Aaron and Colleen met as youngsters when they both attended high school together in Cardiff, Wales. They have kept their relationship private and little is known about the couple. They did advertise their wedding in June 2014 when Colleen officially became Mrs. Ramey.
They were married at the Caldicot Castle in Monmouthshire, Wales, on June 8, 2014, and they asked their guests to donate money to the Parkinson’s UK charity instead of bringing them gifts. They also publicized the birth of their son, Sonny, in 2015.
Alex Morgan and Servando Carrasco
This power couple met while they were both playing soccer for the University of California-Berkley. Bonding over their love for the game of football, Alex and Servando became the perfect soccer couple.
After seven years of dating, Servando proposed to Alex at a fireworks show on Manhattan Beach in 2013 and they were married the following year on New Year's Eve. The two were able to both play for club teams in Orlando until this past season when Orlando City declined Carrasco’s contract option. In January, Carrasco signed with the LA Galaxy, which means he is thousands of miles away from Alex, but this power couple’s love is powerful enough to overcome the distance.