World Cup 2014: When it's about WAGs, the stars go weak on their knees

Footballers are stars themselves but their WAGs (wives and girlfriends) are not too far behind when it comes to the celebrity quotient.

Their style of celebrating goals may be as different as a chalk is to cheese, but when it comes to choosing their better halves, these players seem to sail in the same boat.

Apart from the soccer ball, the stars of 'the beautiful game' like to get hitched to journalists and models.

From England star Frank Lampard's partner Christine Bleakley, the dark-haired TV presenter, to Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Irina Shayk, a stunning Russian model, football icons surely seem to prefer beauty as well as brains.

Much like compatriot Lampard, England star forward Wayne Rooney too fell for a TV presenter - Coleen. Meanwhile, the Spanish armada along with skipper Iker Casillas sunk in the World Cup, the goalie's girlfriend Sara Carbonero - a Spanish journalist - continues to hog the limelight, labelled as the world's sexiest reporter.

The trend seemingly popped up when former England and Real Madrid star David Beckham started dating Victoria or 'Posh Spice' - a pop singer cum model. Spaniard Gerard Pique then got hitched to the 'WAKA WAKA' girl Shakira, whom the footballer met on the sets of a music video.

No matter how rough and tough they are on the field, when it comes to their WAGs, footballers go weak on their knees in front of their beloveds.

Mercurial Italian forward Mario Balotelli's relationship with his girlfriend Fanny Neguesha was all but over when the Italian allegedly made lewd remarks about her. But the couple kissed and made up when the 23-year-old footballer went down on his knees with a huge 100,000 pound solitaire.

While the world continues to compare two modern greats Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, their girlfriends - Irina and Antonella Ruccuzzo, respectively - have only been spicing up their rivalry. And while German sniper Thomas Muller continues to sizzle on the biggest arena, it may be surprising for many to know that his wife Lisa, a model, wasn't a soccer fan when the footballer had fallen for her at the age of 18.

But while majority of these icons consider their ladies as lucky charms, England medio Steven Gerrad unofficially banned his better half Alex as he thought WAGs are little more than a distraction.