With their prodigious talents, superb repertoire of skills, keen eyes for goals, Brazilian star Neymar and Colombian ace James Rodriguez have taken the World Cup by storm both on and off the field. Their similarities do not end there as they both wear the iconic number 10 shirt and are of the same age, 22.
On the field the South American duo have announced themselves as the chief protagonists of their respective teams in the biggest stage. However, James with five goals and Neymar with four goals also have something in common – they both have beautiful partners by their side. Neymar is currently having an affair with Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine while James is married to national volleyball player Daniela Ospina, who is also the sister of the Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina. Bruna and Daniela have virtually become the unofficial first ladies of their countries. Ahead of their duel in the quarterfinal later tonight, both of their better halves have generated quite a considerable amount of media attention.
So far, Daniela has been present in the stands to inspire her husband in all the four games but Bruna was in the gallery for only two matches, against Mexico and Chile. Bruna was so excited after the shootout triumph over Chile in the round of 16 that she started crying alongside her sister Rafaella. While the Marquezine sisters were shedding tears, Brazilian businessman Raymer Monteiro was filming them along with the Brazilian players on the field. Later, Raymer uploaded the video on Youtube and the businessman instantly turned into a celebrity. “She’s nice, simple and very beautiful. More beautiful in person than the screen,” said Raymer on Bruna, who has starred in several soap operas for Globo television channel. The video has so far attracted more than 200,000 hits.
Daniela on the other hand is also chased by TV cameras and paparazzis whenever she comes out in public. In a recent interview she elaborated how she met James and admitted that it was love at first sight. The couple got married in 2011. James, then 19, and Daniela, 18, tied the knot in Medellin, the second largest city in Colombia. Daniela then accompanied her husband to Portugal where James used to play for FC Porto before moving to French club Monaco. Their first child, a girl, Salome, was born last year. Not only matches, Daniela is also ever-present in the stands during Colombia’s practice sessions and never stops cheering her husband.
While James and Daniela never encountered a bumpy road in their successful relationship it has not been that smooth a ride for Neymar and Bruna. The famous Brazilian couple began their relationship in late 2012 but announced their separation last year as Bruna started to date soap opera actor Manoel Carlos. During that time Bruna had deleted all the pictures of Neymar from her social networking site. But ever since the World Cup got underway, the couple sorted out their differences and patched up their relationship.
Neymar and Bruna appeared together at a party in Rio de Janeiro after Brazil’s group stage draw against Mexico and spent the rest of the day at the Loft Suite, recognised as one of the best designed suites in the world. With an 180º view of the Guanabara Bay, Christ the Redeemer and the hills of Santa Teresa, the suite has large living rooms with a panoramic balcony, a private bathroom with two relaxation areas and tubs, a super king-size bed, a minibar, a LCD TV, a DVD player and special outfits. At $5445/day, it was paid for by Bruna as a gift for Neymar.
