Brazilian striker Hulk marrying his ex-wife's NIECE, Mauro Icardi's explosive romance with Wanda Nara and Cesc Fabregas' wedding storm... football's most remarkable marriages after Sadio Mane tied the knot with his 19-year-old girlfriend
- Sadio Mane has married his '19-year-old long-term girlfriend' Aisha Tamba
- The pair kept their relationship private until the day of their marriage
- 'It's totally indefensible': Why Joey Barton is way out of line - Listen to It's All Kicking Off
Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane married his 19-year-old girlfriend Aisha Tamba last week before jetting off to the Ivory Coast to lead Senegal's title defence.
The 31-year-old forward is believed to have tied the knot in a private ceremony in Senegal on January 7 in Keur Massar, an area in the capital city of Dakar.
Fans have been shocked by the revelation of Aisha's age, with reports claiming she had been 'long intended for Mane since her teenage years'.
It is not known exactly how long they have been dating. The legal age of consent in Senegal is 16 years of age.
But what other high-profile weddings have surfaced in the game in recent years? Mail Sport takes a look at other remarkable marriages from the football world.
![Sadio Mane has married his '19-year-old long-time girlfriend' Aisha Tamba](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79796603-12946353-Sadio_Mane_has_married_his_19_year_old_long_time_girlfriend_Aish-a-6_1704885304525.jpg)
Sadio Mane has married his '19-year-old long-time girlfriend' Aisha Tamba
![The wedding took place in a private ceremony in his home country of Senegal on January 7](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79796629-12946353-The_wedding_took_place_in_a_private_ceremony_in_his_home_country-a-7_1704885308546.jpg)
The wedding took place in a private ceremony in his home country of Senegal on January 7
Sadio Mane
The wedding of Mane and Aisha was attended by family, friends and fellow footballers last week.
Mane, who now plays in Al Nassr after his summer move from Bayern Munich, shared photos from the wedding on social media.
The pictures were taken by the photography company @Magvision_Evens_Officiel. Mane and Aisha were seen holding hands and posing after the ceremony.
One image shows the pair sitting below a display of roses, with the words 'Mrs Mane' imprinted on the wall.
The wedding photos show Aisha wearing a mermaid-style intricate, fitted, lacey dress, with long sleeves and a silky veil.
Other photos show a second outfit - a silk white top and skirt combo, which she has teamed with a chunky gold necklace and earrings. The bride also has henna on both hands. Mane is seen wearing traditional Senegalese dress in the pictures.
A video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @abdullahayofel showed the two smiling and laughing as they sat together on a sofa after their wedding.
It was captioned: 'A very simple and humble man, congratulations Sadio Mane. May Allah bless your union.'
![Sadio Mane kisses the hand of his new bride in a wedding photoshoot](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79799883-12946353-Sadio_Mane_kisses_the_hand_of_his_new_bride_in_a_wedding_photosh-a-8_1704885325546.jpg)
Sadio Mane kisses the hand of his new bride in a wedding photoshoot
![Reports claim Aisha 'was long intended for the 31-year-old footballer since her teenage years'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79797961-12946353-Reports_claim_Aisha_was_long_intended_for_the_31_year_old_footba-a-9_1704885330551.jpg)
Reports claim Aisha 'was long intended for the 31-year-old footballer since her teenage years'
![The footballer is seen affectionately fixing his bride's veil in the wedding photos](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79799917-12946353-The_footballer_is_seen_affectionately_fixing_his_bride_s_veil_in-a-10_1704885339431.jpg)
The footballer is seen affectionately fixing his bride's veil in the wedding photos
The photos from the wedding made the relationship public, with reports claiming the couple had kept their romance a secret until they were married.
Initial reports claimed Aisha was 18 years old, but on Tuesday night Senegalese media said she was 19. It is claimed that Mane had spotted his future wife when she was 16 but didn't approach her formally at the time.
Instead, he confided in his uncle, a friend of her father, which eventually led to their union, according to Sports Brief. Aisha's father is reported to be an architect.
Back in 2022, Mane had spoken out on the type of person that he would marry.
'I've seen a lot of girls asking me why I am not married, but sorry you might be wasting your time. The woman I marry will not be on social networks,' Mane said according to Tribune.
'I want to marry a woman who respects God and prays well. Everyone has their own way of making their choice of love.'
Pulse Sports reported that the ex-Liverpool star had taken care of his future wife's bills when she was in school.
Originally from Casamança, Aisha speaks Madingue like her husband. The town boarders Bambali, the village where Mane is from and where he has donated money for a hospital to be built.
He has also provided funds for a mosque, a school, a petrol station and given learning materials to students in his community, the Bayo News Network reports.
He spent over £700,000 on new buildings to transform his village.
In 2022 he visited the £455,000 hospital he financed the previous year, which serves 34 villages in the surrounding area.
The kind-hearted footballer, who has also built a £250,000 public secondary school in the village, was filmed opening a new fuel station.
He provided each family in the village with a monthly €70 support package and offered €400 to the best achieving students at Bambali High School.
Hulk
Former Brazilian international forward Hulk recently revealed he is expecting a second child with his ex-wife's niece.
The 37-year-old was previously married to Iran Angelo, who he had met in Japan before marrying in 2007.
Hulk and Iran had two sons, Ian and Tiago, and a daughter, Alice during their 12-year marriage which came to an end on 2019.
The striker shocked the footballing world when he announced five months after their divorce that he was marrying Camila Angelo, the niece of his ex-wife.
A spokesman for the striker said in a statement at the time: 'Hulk called the parents and the brother of Camila and told them the truth.
![Hulk stunned the world when he married Camila Angelo, the niece of his ex-wife Iran Angelo](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79093807-12946353-The_Atletico_Mineiro_stunned_the_world_when_he_married_Angelo_wh-a-3_1704885203355.jpg)
Hulk stunned the world when he married Camila Angelo, the niece of his ex-wife Iran Angelo
![Hulk's ex-wife Iran (left) and Iran's niece (right) who married the Brazilian footballer in 2020](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/22738086-12946353-Hulk_s_ex_wife_Iran_left_and_Iran_s_niece_right_who_married_the_-a-1_1704885189265.jpg)
Hulk's ex-wife Iran (left) and Iran's niece (right) who married the Brazilian footballer in 2020
![The former Brazil striker announced in December he's having a second child with Angelo](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/11/79093805-12946353-Former_Brazil_striker_Hulk_has_announced_that_he_s_having_a_seco-m-5_1704885246833.jpg)
The former Brazil striker announced in December he's having a second child with Angelo
'It was Hulk himself who made the information public because he had nothing to hide.
'His position is transparency and he wants to avoid lies and malicious comments.'
A year later, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child, Zaya. Last month, Hulk revealed on social media that they are expecting a second child.
'My children didn't know until now and I had agreed with my wife to tell them when I picked them up to spend the holidays with me, only on the 16th,' Hulk said.
'I told them the news, they were very happy. I knew they would tell other people and those people would pass it on to someone. I knew it was going to leak.'
Mauro Icardi
Wanda Nara was at the centre of a love triangle which was exposed back in 2013. The model and TV presenter was married to Maxi Lopez at the time, before it was reported that she was having an affair with his Sampdoria team-mate Mauro Icardi.
Icardi had reportedly approached his former friend's wife as their marriage fell apart.
The forward addressed the controversy in his book, where he confirmed his relationship with Wanda began while she was still married to Lopez.
'The day before I left for a friendly tour in the US, I got a message from Wanda,' he wrote.
'I was surprised because I usually spoke with Maxi, not with her. She asked me if I could buy a new iPad in the US, it wasn't available yet in Italy at that time.
'That episode, however, made me think. Did Wanda really wanted that tablet, or was she seeking an excuse to get in touch with me?
![Argentina forward Mauro Icardi has had an on-off relationship with Wanda Nara (left)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/78321645-12946353-His_on_off_relationship_with_Wanda_Nara_left_has_ensured_chaos_t-a-11_1704893555113.jpg)
Argentina forward Mauro Icardi has had an on-off relationship with Wanda Nara (left)
![The model (left) married Icardi in 2014 after she split from his former team-mate Maxi Lopez](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/78321637-12946353-The_model_left_married_Icardi_in_2014_after_she_split_from_his_f-a-12_1704893598055.jpg)
The model (left) married Icardi in 2014 after she split from his former team-mate Maxi Lopez
'When I came back in Milan, one of the first things I did was to get reacquainted with Wanda. As I had to hand her the new iPad, that would have been the perfect excuse.
'We texted many times, and it was at that time that we started talking about us a bit more freely. She wrote to me: 'Mauro, we [Maxi Lopez and her] are going for a ride to the Aeolian Islands with Gonzalo Bergessio and his wife. Why don't you come with us?'
'Of course I wanted to. While I was alone on the second floor of the boat, lying on the couch and listen to a bit of reggae, Wanda all of a sudden came and sat beside me, without any embarrassment. At that time her relationship with Maxi Lopez was ending.'
Icardi and Wanda married in May 2014, just months after her divorce from Lopez was finalised.
Lopez refused to shake hands in subsequent meetings with Icardi in matches, after the forward had moved on to join Inter Milan.
Icardi, famously, scored twice for Inter in a 4-0 win over Lopez's Sampdoria in a match which was billed 'The Wanda Derby'.
His former team-mate had blasted Icardi for getting a tattoo of his three children with Wanda. Icardi had shared the tattoo with the message: 'I love these three little angels'.
'I can understand that, being a public figure, he publishes photos. But I'm not comfortable with my kids being in those photos,' Lopez also said, after Icardi had posted photos of his children.
'The kids are my strength... and they know I will do everything to protect them because they mean everything to me.'
Icardi and Wanda had two children of their own during an eight-year marriage, in which she also acted as his football agent.
Wanda confirmed the end of their eight-year marriage in 2022, describing their separation as a 'painful moment'. The couple have since had several reconciliations and splits in an on-off romance.
![Icardi and Nara have publicly announced a split three times before getting back together](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/78327453-12946353-Icardi_and_Nara_have_publicly_announced_a_split_three_times_befo-a-13_1704893623087.jpg)
Icardi and Nara have publicly announced a split three times before getting back together
![Nara has acted as Icardi's agent and negotiated his moves to both PSG and Galatasaray](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/78320257-12946353-Nara_has_acted_as_Icardi_s_agent_and_negotiated_his_moves_to_bot-a-14_1704893627461.jpg)
Nara has acted as Icardi's agent and negotiated his moves to both PSG and Galatasaray
Heartbreakingly, Wanda was diagnosed with leukemia last summer and continues to face an ongoing cancer battle. She had a routine check-up when there was an 'abnormal' finding, soon leading to the terrifying diagnosis.
After debuting on Dancing with the Stars last year, Italy's version of Strictly Come Dancing, she was emotional talking about her motivation behind committing to the television show.
'I had to travel to Milan. Whenever I go there I do some routine tests. The results were abnormal and the doctors began to see things,' she explained.
'I was crying without knowing what it even was. My children were so sad.
'When they invited me to be on 'Dancing with the Stars', obviously the situation was more stable.
'Before signing the contract, I asked the doctors whether I could accept while receiving treatment. They told me 'yes, 100 per cent, do it'.
Cesc Fabregas
The former Arsenal and Barcelona star was accused of stealing the wife of a millionaire businessman in 2012.
Property tycoon Elie Taktouk claimed he had discovered his then wife Daniella Semaan had begun a relationship with Fabregas after seeing newspaper photos of her on holiday with the midfielder the previous year.
'The minute I saw those pictures I felt disgusted by her behaviour and just cut off all emotions,' Taktouk told The Sun in 2012.
'I am not surprised by him — I wouldn't expect less from him. I am not interested in him.
'He is 25 and a fool. She went after him and she would leave him as soon as his money and fame run out. He is no David Beckham.'
Reports claimed that Fabregas and Semaan had met in the Japanese restaurant Nozomi in Knightsbridge, where the Lebanese model reportedly approached him to ask for an autograph for her son Joseph. It was claimed they later swapped numbers.
![Former Arsenal and Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas married Daniella Semaan back in 2018](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/79844475-12946353-image-a-15_1704893761647.jpg)
Former Arsenal and Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas married Daniella Semaan back in 2018
![Semaan previously dismissed concerns over the 12-year age gap in her relationship with Fabregas](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/79845079-12946353-image-a-25_1704894585380.jpg)
Semaan previously dismissed concerns over the 12-year age gap in her relationship with Fabregas
Semaan's high-profile divorce from Taktouk resulted in a series of legal battles, as she told a hearing Fabregas was not as wealthy as people believed. The claim meant she would have to sell a flat in Belgravia to pay for living expenses.
Taktouk sued for compensation allegedly the £5.5million sale of the family home to a company owned by Fabregas was at least £2million under value.
A High Court hearing ruled the Belgravia flat should be sold and Semaan be awarded £1.4 million.
Fabregas married Semaan, who is 12 years older, in a ceremony at the lavish Cliveden House in Berkshire back in 2018.
The couple were joined by their three children Leonardo, Lia and Capri, as well as Joseph and Maria, Semaan's children from her previous marriage to Taktouk.
Semaan addressed the 12-year age gap to Fabregas in a interview in 2014, where she revealed she had been instantly accepted by the footballer's family.
'Cesc is much safer than people twice his age,' Semaan said, as per Mundo Deportivo. 'There are people ten years older than him that are like children, who only thought of the party.
'I did not hear the opinion of people who do not know about me.
'I love him even more than at the beginning of the relationship.'
Ronaldinho
Brazil legend Ronaldinho was forced to deny reports in Brazil that he was due to marry two women at the same time in 2018.
The 2002 World Cup winner had reportedly been living with fiancees Priscilla Coelho and Beatriz Souza at a £5million Rio de Janeiro mansion.
It was claimed he was marrying the pair at a private ceremony at the mansion, leading to the former Barcelona star denying the claims.
'The whole world is calling me. 'I'm not going to get married, it is the biggest lie,' he told Brazilian sport channel SporTV.
Bigamy is illegal in Brazil, Ronaldinho could have faced up to six years in prison had he married two brides.
Brazil's O Dia newspaper had alleged Ronaldinho had asked for both for their hands in marriage and gave them engagement rings.
Ronaldinho's sister, Deisi, who is against her brother's polygamy, was reported to have said she would not be attending a ceremony.
![Priscilla Coelho alleged last year she had been in a six-year relationship with Ronaldinho and Beatriz Souza](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/79845077-12946353-image-m-29_1704894721897.jpg)
![Ronaldinho was forced to deny reports he had asked Priscilla Coelho and Beatriz Souza (pictured) to marry him back in January 2018](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/13/79845129-12946353-image-a-30_1704894726514.jpg)
Ronaldinho was forced to deny reports he had asked Priscilla Coelho, (left) and Beatriz Souza (right) to marry him back in January 2018
A court in Rio last year dismissed a claim from Priscilla Coelho that she had been part of a 'stable union' with Ronaldinho and Beatriz Souza over a six-year period.
Ronaldinho had denied this version of events.
Priscilla split with Ronaldinho in 2018, with her mum later claiming the star had two beds in his house during the relationship with her daughter.
'He had his bedroom for him and Priscilla, and another bedroom for him and Beatriz,' she said.
'They would never be together in the same bed. One day would be Priscilla's and the next day Beatriz's.
'He gave both of them the same amount of spending money every month and he would give them exactly the same gifts. He once gave both a Rolex watch.'