PEOPLE know Georgina Rodriguez and Antonella Roccuzzo for being the significant others of football (or soccer) greats Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina, respectively. Rodriguez is the baby-mama of Ronaldo’s fourth child while Roccuzzo is Messi’s wife. They are known as WAGS (wives and girlfriends of sportsmen).
However, some of the significant others of these football stars already made a name for themselves before they became WAGS. So in honor of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, here are WAGS who are already celebrities in their own right.
SHAKIRA
She is undeniably the most popular among the WAGS. The 41-year-old singer started performing in her native Colombia when she was just a teenager. But it wasn’t until she released her English album “Laundry Service” in 2001 that Shakira, also known for her belly dancing, became an international star. In 2010, she recorded “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which became the anthem for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa. The video featured several football stars including Gerard Pique, who plays for Spain. It was also around that time that the 31-year-old Pique fell in love with the singer. They have two sons together.
IZABEL GOULART
This five foot ten model walked the Victoria’s Secret runway from 2005 to 2016. The 33-year-old Brazilian beauty is also the girlfriend of German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, 27. Before that, Izabel Goulart was in a long-term relationship with Brazilian football player Marcelo Costa. Goulart was discovered at the age of 14, but her first modeling gig was an embarrassment. While modeling, her top fell open and most Brazilian newspapers featured the incident. But it was just a stepping stone to her international career, which included jobs for Balenciaga, Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Balmain, among others. Of course, it was her stint at Victoria’s Secret that put her on the map.
BRUNA MARQUEZINE
When Brazil won the 2016 Olympics, then team captain Neymar, 26, went up the stadium looking for someone—that someone happened to be Bruna Marquezine, his 22-year-old actress girlfriend. She made her television debut when she was only four years old, and made her first film when she was eight. She plays a princess in her current Brazilian soap “Deus Salve o Rei.” Marquezine and Neymar, known as the most expensive football player in the world, have been dating on and off for five years.
PILAR RUBIO
She is a Spanish TV presenter and actress. The 40-year-old is also the partner of 32-year-old Sergio Ramos, the team captain of the Spanish national team. Rubio started her career modeling for a men’s magazine. She then started acting in movies. But her success came after she became a TV reporter for a comedy program. She received an award for it, too. In 2008 and 2009, she was named the sexiest woman in the world by the Spanish FHM magazine. Rubio also hosted a singing reality show called “Operacion Triunfo.” In 2012, she started dating Ramos. They now have three children together.
EDURNE
There must be something about Spanish football players falling for an older singer. Spanish singer Edurne, 32, is in a relationship with Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea. The 27-year-old is hailed as the best goalkeeper in the world. Edurne started her career early in life--she was a member of the music group Trastos when she was only nine years old. She also competed in “Operacion Triunfo,” but that was before fellow WAG Pilar Rubio was the host. She has received over 40 major singing awards throughout her career. She also acts on the side.
ALICIA AYLIES
The 20-year-old is a model who was crowned Miss France in 2017. She was among the favorites in the Miss Universe 2017 in Las Vegas since compatriot Iris Mittenaere was then the reigning queen. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa ended up winning. Twenty-year-old Aylies, a science degree holder, was spotted at World Cup cheering for French football hero Kylian Mbappe, 19. The two are reportedly dating.
EKATERINA GERUN
This model and former beauty queen is the wife of Igor Akinfeev the goalkeeper and captain of the Russian national team. The 31-year-old was adjudged fourth runner-up in the 2007 Miss Ukraine Universe. She also appeared in a music video for Russian singer Sergey Vyacheslavovich Lazarev’s song.
RUBY MAE
England midfielder Dele Alli is dating lingerie model Ruby Mae. The 23-year-old has modeled for Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel. She loves to post modeling shots for her close to 70,000 followers on Instagram. Some of her photos also feature her 22-year-old beau.