Skip to main content A new power couple has entered the chat: Nicki Nicole and Lamine Yamal. Speculations of a romance sparked when the Argentine singer and rapper, 24, allegedly kissed the Spanish professional footballer at his 18th birthday celebration in mid-July. Most recently, the “Wapo Traketero” singer was invited as a VIP guest (alongside Bizarrap) at the 47th edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy, where FC Barcelona (team where Yamal is a winger) won over Italian club Como 1907 with a 5-0 victory on Sunday, Aug. 10. During the match, Nicki — who’s making the rounds with 2025 singles “Masna Remix,” “Hace Rato,” “blackout,” and “Vulnerable” — was spotted wearing Yamal’s jersey. Though the artist and soccer star have yet to make their relationship public, sources confirmed to Billboard on Monday (Aug. 11) that they are indeed dating. View this post on Instagram But beyond the new couple, soccer and music have always meshed well. Some of Latin music’s biggest artists, such as Maluma, Carlos Vives, Melendi, and Fito Paéz have proven to be passionate fútbol aficionados, while soccer stars such as José Manuel Pinto (former goalkeeper for Barcelona FC) and Jese “Jey M” Rodriguez (former striker for Real Madrid), have not shied away from kicking off their own music careers. The best example, when it comes to romance however, are soccer superstar David Beckham and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, whose dreamy love story began over 25 years ago, and who have since welcomed four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper. Another popular soccer-and-music power couple were Shakira and Gerard Piqué, who met during the 2010 World Cup and share two children, Sasha and Milan. Unfortunately, after a 12-year relationship, the Colombian artist and Barcelona defender announced their split in June 2022. “We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the two said in a joint statement released by Shakira’s public relations firm. “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.” Like the previously named, there has been several famous soccer WAGS (the term given to the wives and girlfriends of athletes) in the Latin music realm. Below, check out some past and present real-life couples who blended the two worlds. Anitta & Vinicius Souza Image Credit: Manny Hernandez/Getty Images One of the most recent but short-lived relationships between an artist and athlete was Anitta and Vinicius Souza, who briefly dated in 2024. The Brazilian footballer who plays for VfL Wolfsburg shared a since-deleted Instagram post with various photos of him and the Brazilian singer together. “Collecting memories,” he captioned the post, according to People. After reportedly breaking up earlier this year, Souza got back with his longtime partner, Isabella Michel. Becky G & Sebastian Lletget Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/GI In Dec. 2022, Mexican-American pop artist Becky G and her longtime boyfriend, soccer player Sebastian Lletget (midfielder for FC Dallas)—who began dating in 2016—got engaged. “Our spot forever,” they captioned the joint post on Instagram. A couple of months later, it was rumored that Lletget cheated on the singer, causing her to stop wearing her engagement ring and stop attending public events with him. It’s unclear if they have since rekindled their relationship or not. Belinda & Giovani Dos Santos Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/WireImage Belinda and Olympic gold medalist Giovani Dos Santos first met in 2006 while on the set of Disney’s Cheetah Girls 2 in Barcelona. Three years later, the Mexican pop star and Dos Santos, who played for Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, and LA Galaxy, among other clubs, announced they were dating. However, their relationship lasted nearly a year. Camila Sodi & Chicharrito Image Credit: Adrián Monroy/Medios y Media/GI In 2017, photos of Mexican actress and singer Camila Sodi with Mexican soccer star Javier “Chicharrito” Hernandez in Paris confirmed the couple were an item. The relationship didn’t last long, primarily due to pressure from the media. “We couldn’t handle the long-distance relationship,” Sodi said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “A lot of changes, a lot of ugly things surrounding something beautiful.” Dulce Maria & Guillermo Ochoa Image Credit: Courtesy of Telemundo In the early 2000s, Dulce María and Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa began dating. At the time of their relationship, in 2005, Dulce formed part of the hit TV show Rebelde and Mexican pop group RBD; whereas Memo had just debuted with Club America. After a year of dating, the “it” couple called it quits due to their busy agendas. That same year, Memo debuted as goalkeeper of the Mexican National Team. Nicki Nicole & Lamine Yamal Image Credit: Medios y Media/Getty Images Sources confirmed to Billboard that Nicki and Lamine are the new “it” couple in soccer and music. Although the couple has yet to make their relationship “Instagram official,” the 24-year-old artist—who previously dated Peso Pluma and Trueno—has already been spotted supporting her new boyfriend at his soccer matches and wearing his jersey. Amid the dating news, Nicki is currently making the rounds with four new singles released in 2025, following her 2024 album NAIKI. Shakira & Gerard Piqué Image Credit: David Ramos/Getty Images One of the most iconic relationships in sports and music was between Shakira and Piqué of FC Barcelona, who met while she was promoting her 2010 World Cup anthem, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” After a 12-year relationship—resulting in two sons, Milan and Sasha—the couple called it quits in 2022. “I feel like in this moment of my life, which is probably one of the most difficult, darkest hours of my life, music has brought light,” Shakira previously said in an Elle cover story. TINI & Rodrigo De Paul Image Credit: Dolores Gortari Argentine pop star TINI and Rodrigo De Paul (midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Argentina national football team) made their relationship Instagram-official in 2022. Although the couple is not longer dater, TINI was very supportive of her then-boyfriend during the World Cup by flying to Qatar for a match and posting on social media. De Paul also posted an appreciation post for the “Triple T” singer: “When this madness started, I told you that I was not going to fail you, that I was going to stay until the last day, and here we are keeping our word… I will hug you soon, wait a little longer… THANK YOU. I love you,” he shared. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl_M3YEjH8- Xuxa & Pelé Image Credit: RALPH GATTI/AFP/GI One of the most memorable first soccer WAGS was Brazilian singer and TV star Xuxa (real name: Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel), who dated former Brazilian soccer star Pelé (real name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento). The couple, who met in the entertainment industry, dated for nearly seven years in the early ’80s, but their age gap became the center of media attention. Xuxa was 17 and Pelé was 40 when their romance began. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about? Get in the know on Visit Billboard Pro for music business news Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP optional screen reader Manage Account Billboard Hot 100™ Billboard 200™ Hits Of The World™ Songs Of The Summer Year-End Charts Decade-End Charts R&B/Hip-Hop Business News Record Labels View All Pro Songwriters & Producers Artist Index Royalty Calculator Market Watch Industry Events Calendar Billboard Español Cultura y Entretenimiento Honda Music GET ACCESS TODAY