International tournaments are a breeding ground for emerging stars – and not just on the pitch, but the fans in the stands too.
One such case was Belgium fan Axelle Despiegelaere who grabbed eyeballs at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The blonde beauty caught the attention of cameramen as she cheered her team during their second group game against Russia which they won 1-0.
Sporting a devil horn hat in honour of her team’s ‘Red Devils’ nickname and with pom poms in hand, Axelle found herself at the centre of camera flashes in the legendary Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro.
READ MORE: Jude Bellingham’s jaw-dropping WAG puts on stunning display as she models in lingerie
READ MORE: German cities ask for more sex workers to handle Euro 2024 demand from football fans
Learn more
Soon enough, the attractive teen became the internet sensation dubbed as the World Cup’s “sexiest fan”. This fame quickly landed her a modelling contract with French cosmetics giant L’Oreal, which featured her in a social media campaign showing off a ‘hair tutorial’.
However, what seemed like the start of a glamorous career abruptly ended when she uploaded a controversial picture of herself posed next to an oryx that appeared dead.
What do you think of Axelle Despiegelaere’s winning a modelling contract? Let us know in the comments section
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
This moved the limelight away from Axelle, turning it into infamy, right before Belgium’s round-of-16 tie with the USA
“Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It’s much more important than that..this was about one year ago..ready to hunt Americans today haha,” she wrote in her controversial Facebook post.
After facing a barrage of criticism, Axelle clarified with a follow-up comment: “I didn’t mean to offend anyone..it was a joke.”
(Image: Instagram/despiegelaereaxelle)
(Image: INSTAGRAM/@despiegelaereaxelle)
However, just like Belgium’s World Cup journey, which saw them triumph over the USA 2-1 only to be defeated by Argentina 1-0 in the quarter-finals, her modelling aspirations took a hit.
Beauty giant L’Oreal decided to sever ties with her shortly after the hunting photo incident in Africa, though they did not explicitly state this as the reason.
A spokesperson from L’Oreal informed The Independent: “L’Oreal Professionnel Belgium collaborated with her on an ad hoc basis to produce a video for social media use in Belgium. The contract has now been completed.”
Nonetheless, she managed to snag a pitchside appearance at a Club Brugge match, the team she roots for, the following month.