Champions of love! Victoria Beckham, Perrie Edwards and more celebrities have sparked romances with professional soccer athletes.
The Spice Girls performer met now-husband David Beckham in 1997 after she attended a Manchester United game. He proposed less than one year later in January 1998, and the couple exchanged vows in July 1999. Their eldest son, Brooklyn, was 4 months old at the time and served as ring bearer during the ceremony.
While reflecting on two decades of marriage, the former LA Galaxy player recalled one of his earliest interactions with his wife. “She came to watch me in a game in London with her manager at the time and one of the other Spice Girls, Sporty Spice,” he said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in February 2020. “I know of [the band], obviously, because they were pretty big at that time.”
David teased that he and his teammates “all had a favorite Spice Girl” during the pop group’s rise to stardom in the ’90s. “[Victoria] was obviously my favorite,” he confessed.
The twosome chatted again at a different game, and David worked up the courage to ask the singer out. “We talked for about an hour in the player’s lounge and then … she wrote her number down on a train ticket, which I still have,” he mused as the talk show’s audience applauded.
With more than 20 years in the spotlight under their belts, the couple have relied on one another to overcome scrutiny. “People have been making things up about our relationship for 20 years,” Victoria said in her October 2018 British Vogue cover story. “We both realize that we are stronger together than we are as individuals.”
She continued: “It’s all about the family unit. We are much stronger, the six of us, than we would be if we were individuals. We respect that family bond and that is key.”
The Beckhams may be relationship goals, but not all sports romances have had the same happy ending. Shakira welcomed two sons with Gerard Piqué after they began dating in 2011, but the pair announced their split in June 2022.
“I’ve remained quiet and just tried to process it all. … It’s hard to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it, and because I’m in the public eye and because our separation is not like a regular separation,” the “Hips Don’t Lie” artist told Elle three months later. “It’s been tough not only for me, but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult.”
Scroll down to see which soccer stars have scored A-list romances over the years:
Champions of love! Victoria Beckham, Perrie Edwards and more celebrities have sparked romances with professional soccer athletes.
The Spice Girls performer met now-husband David Beckham in 1997 after she attended a Manchester United game. He proposed less than one year later in January 1998, and the couple exchanged vows in July 1999. Their eldest son, Brooklyn, was 4 months old at the time and served as ring bearer during the ceremony.
While reflecting on two decades of marriage, the former LA Galaxy player recalled one of his earliest interactions with his wife. “She came to watch me in a game in London with her manager at the time and one of the other Spice Girls, Sporty Spice,” he said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in February 2020. “I know of [the band], obviously, because they were pretty big at that time.”
David teased that he and his teammates “all had a favorite Spice Girl” during the pop group’s rise to stardom in the ’90s. “[Victoria] was obviously my favorite,” he confessed.
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The twosome chatted again at a different game, and David worked up the courage to ask the singer out. “We talked for about an hour in the player’s lounge and then … she wrote her number down on a train ticket, which I still have,” he mused as the talk show’s audience applauded.
With more than 20 years in the spotlight under their belts, the couple have relied on one another to overcome scrutiny. “People have been making things up about our relationship for 20 years,” Victoria said in her October 2018 British Vogue cover story. “We both realize that we are stronger together than we are as individuals.”
She continued: “It’s all about the family unit. We are much stronger, the six of us, than we would be if we were individuals. We respect that family bond and that is key.”
The Beckhams may be relationship goals, but not all sports romances have had the same happy ending. Shakira welcomed two sons with Gerard Piqué after they began dating in 2011, but the pair announced their split in June 2022.
“I’ve remained quiet and just tried to process it all. … It’s hard to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it, and because I’m in the public eye and because our separation is not like a regular separation,” the “Hips Don’t Lie” artist told Elle three months later. “It’s been tough not only for me, but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult.”
Scroll down to see which soccer stars have scored A-list romances over the years:
Credit: Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock
Victoria Beckham
The fashion designer married David in Ireland in July 1999. Victoria and her husband share four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
Credit: Alberto Simon/DYDPPA/Shutterstock
Shakira
The “She Wolf” artist began seeing Piqué in 2011 after he appeared in her music video for “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the 2010 World Cup anthem. The twosome welcomed sons Milan and Sasha in 2013 and 2015, respectively. After 11 years together, Shakira and the Spain native — who never tied the knot — announced their split.
Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Perrie Edwards
After ending her engagement to Zayn Malik in 2015, the Little Mix artist moved on with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Edwards announced in May 2021 that she was expecting her first child with the English soccer star, and she gave birth three months later. Oxlade-Chamberlain popped the question in June 2022.
Credit: CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Glennon Doyle
Doyle — known for writing the bestselling book Untamed — was first linked to National Soccer Hall of Famer Abby Wambach in late 2016 following her divorce from Craig Melton earlier that year. The author married Wambach in May 2017. Doyle has been candid about coparenting her three children with Melton, revealing in 2016 that the blended family still have dinners together.
Credit: John Locher/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Becky G
The “Shower” artist and FC Dallas midfielder Sebastian Lletget have been dating since 2016.
Credit: Richard Ellis/UPI/Shutterstock
Sue Bird
The WNBA legend’s romance with Megan Rapinoe was revealed in July 2017. One year later, the athletes became the first same-sex couple to cover ESPN magazine’s Body Issue. Bird and the Olympian got engaged in October 2020.
Credit: MEGA
Jinger Duggar
The TLC alum was introduced to former New York Red Bulls player Jeremy Vuolo by her sister Jessa Duggar. The couple’s courtship was confirmed in June 2016, and the Hope We Hold authors were married by November. They welcomed daughters Felicity and Evangeline in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
Credit: Marechal Aurore/ABACA/Shutterstock
Pilar Rubio
In June 2019, the Spanish TV presenter exchanged vows with Paris Saint-Germain athlete Sergio Ramos. The pair sparked their romance in 2012 and share four sons: Sergio Jr., Marco, Alejandro and Máximo.
Credit: Can Nguyen/Shutterstock
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
The X Factor UK alum began dating Andre Gray in 2016, and he proposed on their four-year anniversary. In May 2021, the couple announced Pinnock’s first pregnancy. She gave birth to twins that August.
