Football fans, from the die-hard to the casual, listen up World Cup with goals, upsets, and players who become national heroes (or villains) overnight. But 20 years after the term was coined, you might be wondering: are WAGs still a thing?
WAG, short for wives and girlfriends, is a concept that comes with baggage. It was first circulated in the UK around 2002, as shorthand for the English footballers’ partners. During the 2006 World Cup, WAGs – led by Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice – began to receive more press coverage than their player counterparts.
Two decades ago, the tabloids focused on where women shopped, what they wore, where they partied, and whether they were “attractions” from the game. It was splashy, but also reductive.
Nowadays, WAG is used across sports, from NFL and NBA for System 1 and tennis. But the meaning has also changed: the modern WAG is not just someone who sits in the stands. She could be a celebrity, actress, model, entrepreneur, former athlete, reality star, or even a world famous pop star (hi, Taylor Swift)
Let’s find out the 12 soccer WAGs who are dominating the 2026 World Cup conversation.
Georgina Rodriguez
Cristiano RonaldoLongtime girlfriend and fiance Georgina Rodríguez may be the best map of modern WAG fame. With over 70 million Instagram followers, a Netflix reality show, and years of luxury brand collaborations, Rodríguez has built her online persona around family, motherhood, travel, and beauty — not to mention amazing. an engagement ring.
Esther Exposito
Ester Expósito is the girlfriend of French hero Kylian Mbappé, but that is not what she is known for. She is a Spanish actress best known for playing Carla Rosón Caleruega on the Netflix teen drama Élite, a series that helped her become an international star.
The 26-year-old’s life has involved television, film and fashion. Just last week, Expósito was awarded at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival with the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
Bruna Biancardi
Bruna Biancardi had a very special World Cup even before his partner, Neymar, even took the field (he eventually made his debut as a sub in Brazil v Scotland). On June 16, Biancardi announced that they were pregnant in a joint Instagram post and a YouTube video about it a popular stationwhere he shares the moments of his life with Neymar and their family.
Antonella Roccuzzo
Argentina’s famous striker Lionel MessiMessi’s wife has been a part of Messi’s life since childhood – and their long history together is part of why people admire him. With more than 40 million followers, Roccuzzo has worked with fashion, beauty and top athletes (Adidas, Stella McCartney, Alo, etc.), and also looks like a great mom.
Mashable Trend Report
Isabel Haugseng Johansen
Isabel Haugseng Johansen and partner Erling Haaland go back. The two grew up in the same town in Norway and both played for Bryne FK, the local club where Haaland started his football career. They are said to have been dating since at least 2021 and welcomed their first child, a son, in December 2024.
The couple often keep their family life private, but as Haaland’s popularity grows during the World Cup, so does he. He can also thank Haaland for providing glimpses of their life off the field—from cooking at home to playing Minecraft together—on his popular Snapchat account.
Ptolemy Benson
Tolami Benson is Bukayo Saka’s fiancee and one of the key figures of the new generation of football WAGs. The 25-year-old studied Public and Media Relations at Birmingham City University and works in PR and media planning, but has also been a popular figure at Arsenal and England matches. Fans know him for his sophisticated “sports chic” style, mixing soccer shirts with designer sneakers and high street pieces.
Benson now has nearly 300,000 Instagram followers, has worked with brands like River Island, and has kept much of her relationship with Saka private, despite the couple dating since around 2020 and announcing their engagement in November 2025.
Ashlyn Castro
Castro is an American model, influencer, and content producer, who has been in a relationship with England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham since late 2024. Born in California, she had already built a large following through her fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle content on Instagram and TikTok before news of her relationship with Bellingham went public.
She has also been spotted with other celebrities in the past, including Oscar-winning actor Michael B. Jordan and Brooklyn Nets player Terance Mann.
Fig. Stoessel
Tini – or Martina-Stoessel, is an Argentine pop star and actress. He first gained fame on television before becoming one of Argentina’s biggest music stars. His relationship with Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has been closely monitored since they were first linked in late 2021, especially during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup, when he appeared to support him in Qatar.
The couple separated in 2023, but rekindled their relationship in 2025 and became one of Argentina’s most famous couples.
Gabriela Miranda
Miranda is a Brazilian model, content producer, and social media creator married to Real Madrid and Brazil striker Endrick at the age of 19. The two began dating while Endrick was still playing for Palmeiras and they married in 2024, making them one of the youngest couples in the soccer spotlight in Brazil.
Their relationship has gotten a lot of attention online, both because of their age gap (Miranda is 25) and because of the now-famous “relationship contract” they established, which includes rules such as always saying “I love you” to each other, and never arguing in public.
Ashley Turner
Ashley Turner (née Herron) is the wife of USMNT goalie Matt Turner and former New England Patriots cheerleader. The two met in Boston when Matt was playing for the New England Revolution and Ashley was cheering for the Patriots, making their relationship a New England football affair before her career took her to the national team. The couple married in 2022 and have two children, Easton and Everley.
Rima Edbouche
The Moroccan influencer has married French footballer Ousmane Dembélé, with the couple tying the knot in a traditional Moroccan ceremony in 2021 and welcoming a daughter the following year. Edbouche posts lifestyle and fashion content regularly on TikTok and Instagram, runs his own label, Razalae, and has helped Dembélé through major career moments, including PSG’s Champions League celebrations.
Fernanda Serrano
“Fer” Serrano is the wife of Mexican star Santiago Gimenez – and a celebrity in her own right. She is a talented Mexican actress, TV host, and social media personality who shares lifestyle content, branding work, travel, and snippets of her daily life online. He and Gimenez reportedly met during the COVID-19 pandemic while playing video games. The couple became engaged in 2022 and married in 2024.
Topic
Sports
FIFA World Cup
