Football players are big celebrities; When you consider the scheme of things beyond what they do on the playing field, many want to know who they are with and who they are married to.
Footballers’ wives and girlfriends (WAGs) are one of the hottest topics in football discussions.
While some are lucky enough to have met the love of their life even before becoming football idols, like Messi, who eventually married Antonella Roccuzzo, others prefer to stay with their wives as boyfriends and girlfriends , like Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez.
Then there are some who got married during their careers and lived happily ever after, while many others got married but never stayed together for long.
Soccer players are known for their agility, strength, and impressive moves on the field. But what happens when the game is over and they go home? Sometimes even the most famous footballers can’t stop their marriage from falling apart.
Divorce is an important topic when it comes to marriage between athletes and footballers. Let’s take a look at 10 popular football players who got divorced and how it ended.
1. Emmanuel Eboue
Before joining Arsenal, Emmanuel Eboué married his Belgian wife, Aurélie, with whom he had three children.
Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué divorced his Belgian wife Aurélie in 2017 and revealed following his bankruptcy following a bad investment, he left it in the care of his ex-wife.
With Eboué already retired from work, he struggled to find an apartment and slept in pubs. However, former teammates and friends came to his aid and he got completely back on his feet.
The Ivorian also said he owns properties in West Africa, Ivory Coast and Ghana, rightly saying he is not poor.
Emmanuel Eboué then got married to his longtime girlfriend, Stéphanie Boedé, in 2019. Stéphanie is a French publicist and the couple dated for many years before finally getting married.
2. Gerard Pique
Spanish legend Gerard Pique dated famous singer Shakira after meeting during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The story seemed like a fairytale union until it wasn’t.
In 2022, Shakira divorced the defender in one of the smallest celebrity couple separations ever.
The couple originally published a joint declaration that they were separating.
Shakira is ten years older than Pique, while the former Barcelona defender cheated with a 23-year-old.
The singer recorded diss tracks and the defender did the same in interviews; the two had two children together and have since separated.
3. Achraf Hakimi
Hiba Akoub has been married to Achraf Hakimi since 2020 although she is 12 years older than the PSG player, who earns around €1 million monthly.
The marriage was out of the media spotlight until Hakimi was involved in a rape case which led Hiba Akoub to initiate divorce proceedings which would have allowed her to recover 50% of the Moroccan’s assets.
In an interesting twist that will make this sporting divorce one of the most talked about of all time, the 24-year-old had nothing in his name but under his mother’s name.
This meant that the actress was likely to split her assets 50/50 with the player unless there was another development contrasting with current realities.
4. Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is considered one of best left backs in football historybut he is also one of the footballers who have divorced.
This divorce story is perhaps one that ironically shows love even in separation; Cole and Cheryl Tweedy began dating in 2004 before getting married two years later.
Allegations of Ashley Cole’s infidelity with three other women nearly caused the couple to split in January 2008. Despite the accusations, Cole denied the claims and managed to reconcile with his partner.
However, the duo split in 2010, four years after their marriage, due to several cheating allegations against the former Arsenal and Chelsea player.
Cheryl received no financial compensation from Ashley Cole and she never wanted a divorce, but the inevitable happened.
Although there were rumors of a return between the two, it wasn’t supposed to happen.
5. Odartey Lamptey
Probably one of the most popular divorce cases in world football, especially for Africans who know the story, and for those who don’t, let’s summarize it in a few paragraphs.
The Ghanaian star married Gloria Appiah in 1993 and had five children, two of whom died of lung diseases.
DNA testing revealed the other three were not his, as the marriage broke up in 2013.
Gloria Appiah, the ex-wife of Nii Odartey Lamptey, has demanded financial compensation and asked the Ghanaian court to order Lamptey to leave her home. However, his request was rejected by the court.
Appiah then filed an appeal seeking 50% of Lamptey’s assets, which included the couple’s apartment in East Legon, but the judge rejected his appeal.
The court awarded Gloria Lampety ¢200,000 as a financial settlement, a house in Dome and two vehicles.
6. Djibril Cisse
On 18 June 2005, Cissé married former Welsh hairdresser Jude Littler; the marriage produced three children, Cassius, Prince Kobe and Marley Jackson.
However, what led to their divorce isn’t exactly public, as Jude Littler is known for keeping a private life, as evidenced by his rumored marriage to Chelsea star N’golo Kanté.
Before that, she experienced her share of glamour, and when she divorced Cissé, she marked her divorce with a party and a three-tiered cake, complete with an icy depiction of a traditional bride with a decapitated groom.
7. Paul Merson
Paul Merson definitely made enough plays for Arsenal during his career and later became a manager as well.
However, a nasty divorce left the 55-year-old former English professional footballer broke and homeless.
Merson was married three times and struggled with drug and alcohol addiction as well as Gambling addiction which was the basis of his first divorce in 2001.
He sold his house in the West Midlands at the height of his fortunes, but is currently back on his feet as a TV pundit.
8. David James
Unlike Paul Merson, David James lost his wealth due to an unhealthy divorce, not a combination of issues.
He was married to Tanya, but in 2005 the marriage broke down and the former goalkeeper had to pay £3 million for the divorce.
In 2014, he declared bankruptcy, no thanks to divorce, as he continued to pay his debts.
James is known to also be a model and has held management and expert positions.
9.Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the field, but he didn’t have the best of marriage.
The Frenchman married Nicole Merry in 2003 and they remained together until 2007.
Nicole initiated a divorce when she discovered that Henry was sharing text messages with makeup artist Sadie Hewlett.
The former Barcelona star paid £8million in compensation to his ex-wife.
However, in a 2008 interview with the Daily Mail, Henry spoke about the pain of his divorce and how it wasn’t an easy experience for him.
10. Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs had a private wedding to Stacey Cooke, whom they have been dating for a long time, on September 7, 2007.
Giggs had two children from this union and, although he was extremely loyal to Manchester United, he was not at all loyal and had an affair with his brother’s wife.
His wife, Stacey, stayed with him even after the adultery. She eventually filed for divorce in 2016, and in 2017 she won a £40million divorce settlement after Giggs flirted with a waitress at her restaurant.
