Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images
The 2026 World Cup kicks off this week in stadiums across North America, exactly 20 years after the tournament brought us one of the greatest gifts to pop culture: WAGs. Back in 2006, the tabloids obsessively followed the wives and girlfriends of the British players, which included Victoria Beckham and Cheryl. Today, WAGs are a global phenomenon — almost all the top soccer players have partners who appear on the covers of magazines or star in their own Netflix reality shows.
So, who should you look out for in the stands this month? Here are some of the most popular WAGs on the football circuit right now.
➼ Married to: Lionel Messi, Argentina
➼ Instagram followers: 39 million
Messi, 38, is arguably the top football player in the world right now, and the Argentine national team is the defending champion going into this year’s World Cup. As such, Roccuzzo, also 38, is probably the best-known WAG in 2026 — she has nearly 40 million followers on Instagram and brand deals with Adidas, Stanley, and Tiffany’s. Messi and Roccuzzo are childhood sweethearts and got married in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina, in 2017 in what the tabloids dubbed “the wedding of the century.” They have three sons and currently live in Miami, where Messi plays for Inter Miami CF in the MLS.
But if you’re not cheering on Team Argentina, be warned: Roccuzzo doesn’t hesitate to defend her husband online — she recently responded directly to a doctor who claimed on Instagram that Messi had various plastic surgeries. “You didn’t get a single thing right!” she commented in Spanish. “He has never had surgery hahaha, and the dental thing is called Invisalign.” I believe her!
➼ Dating: Kylian Mbappé, France
➼ Instagram followers: 24 million
Expósito, 27, is a Spanish actress on the Netflix drama Elite. She is also, as of pretty recently, dating Mbappé, also 27, who is the captain of the French national team and one of the top players in the world. The two were first photographed together during Paris Fashion Week in March, and they have since been spotted on a couple different vacations — one to Sardinia and one to Ibiza.
Mbappé is currently prepping for the games with his team in France, but Expósito was photographed dancing onstage with Bad Bunny at his concert in Madrid this week. She seems to have a nice life.
➼ Engaged to: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
➼ Instagram followers: 72 million
According to Forbes, Ronaldo, 41, just officially became a billionaire. Unfortunately, Rodríguez, 32, is not officially married to him yet: The couple got engaged last year and have been dating since 2017. In Rodríguez’s Netflix reality show, I Am Georgina, that aired last year, Ronaldo assured Rodríguez that they would get married “when we get that click.” The engagement ring, at least, is as big as a door knocker.
Ronaldo and Rodríguez co-parent five children together and currently live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Ronaldo plays for the Al-Nassr team (some have speculated that the couple got engaged to better fit in with the kingdom’s strict societal rules regarding marriage). In her free time, Rodríguez is apparently launching a clothing line called Mimoa.
➼ Married to: Riyad Mahrez, Algeria
➼ Instagram followers: 3 million
When Ward, 28, got together with Mahrez, 35, back in 2021, she was already well known in the world of British football: Her dad, Ashley Ward, is a former player for Manchester City, and her mom, Dawn Ward, is a former Real Housewife of Cheshire. Mahrez will play for the Algerian national team in the World Cup, though Ward and Mahrez currently live in Saudi Arabia where Mahrez plays for the Al-Ahli team.
Ward and Mahrez got married in Lake Como in 2024 and share two children together. She regularly posts ads for brands like Alo and GHD hair tools, and she also has a separate Instagram account dedicated to the couple’s heavily marbled home.
➼ Dating: Neymar, Brazil
➼ Instagram followers: 15 million
Neymar, 34, is attempting a comeback at the World Cup this year but may not see the first game as he is currently recovering from a calf injury. His on-again, off-again partner, Biancardi, however, is his No. 1 supporter: The 32-year-old Brazilian model and influencer posted a long letter to him on Instagram when he was named to the World Cup team last month.
“I’ve seen you rise from the frustrations, the attacks, the jokes, the sensational headlines,” she wrote in Portuguese. “But, you never gave up on yourself, nor did we.”
Neymar and Biancardi have been dating since 2022 and have publicly broken up and gotten back together several times. They share two daughters, Mavie and Mel, who regularly appear on Biancardi’s Instagram account, where she also posts cooking and lifestyle content.
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