Gerard Piqué had fans buzzing at Super Bowl LIV and he wasn’t even present at the big game, in which his partner Shakira took over the stage with her sultry halftime performance! It turns out, the pro athlete had to miss out on his lady love’s big gig due to a work committment scheduled on the same day. Learn more about Shakira’s longtime partner with these five facts!
1. Gerard Piqué is a Spanish professional footballer, (better known in America as soccer.) — He plays centre-back for FC Barcelona and the Catalonia national team, and is widely considered to be one of the best defenders in the sport. Gerard played a key role in the Spain teams that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He competed against Levante on Sunday, February 2 in Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, which caused him to miss Shakira’s halftime show. But, everyone was a winner on Sunday, as Gerard’s team won and Shakira didn’t miss a beat or hip shake during her Super Bowl performance. Fun fact: February 2 is actually both of their birthdays!
2. He’s a father of two. — Gerard shares two sons with Shakira, Milan Piqué Mebarak, 7, and Sasha Piqué Mebarak, 5.
(Photo credit: Gerard Pique/Instagram)
3. Gerard and Shakira have been together since 2011. — The pair first met in the spring of 2010 on the set of her “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” music video, in which Gerard starred in (see him at the 1:11 mark). The track served as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After that, Gerard and Shakira were spotted out together on many occasions. However, it wasn’t until March 2011 that Shakira confirmed their romance in a sweet post on Facebook, alongside a smiling photo of Gerard with his arms wrapped around her waist.
4. He is retired from international football. — On August 11, 2018, he officially announced his retirement. Gerard is still an integral member of his FC Barcelona team. In fact, he extended his contract until 2022 in January 2018.
5. Gerard is a savvy businessman. — In addition to his skills on the field, he is also involved in media and investments. Gerard is the founder and president of Kosmos Holding, a sports and media investment group he started with Hiroshi Mikitani, Edmund Chu, Nullah Sarker, and Mike Evans. In July 2019, Gerard took over a majority stake in the Spanish football club, Gimnàstic Manresa.
