Colombian pop superstar Shakira (“Waka Waka”, “Hips Don’t Lie”) and Spanish top soccer player Gerard Piqué have split after 12 years of dating. “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the sake of our children, who are our top priority, we ask that our privacy be respected. Thank you for your understanding,” said the statement published by the Europa Press news agency and other media.
The singer and the FC Barcelona defender have long been considered a dream couple. The US magazine Forbes has repeatedly voted the two among the top 10 “most powerful couples in the world”. The couple had lived together on the outskirts of Barcelona for years.
The end of the relationship was not entirely unexpected. Reports have been circulating in Spain for a few days about an alleged infidelity Piqués that Shakira learned about. Well-known media such as “El Periódico” had announced that the 35-year-old FC Barcelona footballer had moved out of their shared house in Barcelona some time ago and is now living in an apartment in the center of the Spanish metropolis. Neither Shakira (45) nor Piqué had commented on these reports. Most recently, Shakira had deleted all pictures with Piqué on her Instagram profile.
The two met twelve years ago in South Africa on the sidelines of the 2010 World Cup – while recording the video clip for the World Cup hit “Waka Waka”. They have two children together, sons Milan (9) and Sasha (7).
With over 80 million albums sold, Shakira is one of the most successful musicians of the past two decades. She has more than 114 million followers on Facebook. Piqué won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship with the Spanish national team. With his club Barcelona, he won the Champions League title three times. Piqué is also successful as an entrepreneur. The investment company Kosmos, which he runs, organizes, among other things, the Davis Cup for men in tennis.
