A football icon branded “sex obsessed” has been dumped by his student girlfriend 35 years his junior after the star, 60, allegedly cheated with her friend in a love triangle
Randy footballer Romario’s latest whirlwind romance has ended in dramatic fashion after he was accused of cheating on his girlfriend, who is 35 years younger than him, with her own friend.
The Brazilian icon, 60, who has been described as “sex obsessed”, is said to have split from dentistry student Tiffany Barcelos, 25, after she discovered he had allegedly bonked her best pal, Barbara Cavalcanti.
The alleged betrayal has been described as a “double” blow, as the other woman was part of Tiffany’s inner circle. Tiffany wasted no time cutting ties, unfollowing both Romario and Barbara on social media and deleting his comments from her posts.
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The fallout comes after the former Barcelona striker was spotted in Fernando de Noronha – one of Brazil’s major tourist destinations – with Barbara, with images showing the pair together among a group of friends.
Some fans reportedly spotted the two holding hands, further fuelling speculation about their relationship. Sources say Tiffany was still with Romario just days earlier, even attending a casual football match with him in Rio de Janeiro.
But the situation reportedly changed when she realised she would not be joining the Noronha trip—before discovering her friend would be there instead.
Adding to the awkward twist, Tiffany and Barbara had previously travelled together with the World Cup winner earlier in the relationship, with the trio pictured on social media during one such trip.
Romario had not kept the relationship low-key, regularly praising Tiffany online and calling her “beautiful” and “wonderful” in public comments. The romance, which lasted around three months, had seen the pair travel together to destinations including Buenos Aires.
However, the former Barcelona forward’s love life has been far from settled. Tiffany was the third woman he had been linked to in just four months following the end of his previous relationship with student Alicya Gomes, 23.
He was first seen publicly with Tiffany during Carnival celebrations in February, when the pair were photographed holding hands. Just a week later, he was spotted at a Rio steakhouse with another woman, although there were no public displays of affection.
Before that, he had briefly rekindled a relationship with ex-partner Bruna Machado, attending an event together in November. Romario had officially been single since his split from Alicya late last year (2025), although the two remained in contact, with him even sending her flowers for her birthday.
The latest split has played out largely on social media, where Tiffany’s decision to unfollow both Romario and her friend—and erase his comments—has been taken as confirmation of the breakup. Neither Romario, Tiffany nor Barbara has publicly commented on the situation.
As a player, he was one of the world’s top strikers in the late 1980s and 1990s, known for his finishing, positioning and natural goal-scoring instinct.
His biggest achievement came in 1994, when he helped Brazil win the FIFA World Cup and was named World Player of the Year. After retiring, he entered politics and is now a Brazilian senator, often involved in social and sports-related issues.
He’s also known for his outspoken personality both during and after his football career.