Last week Maya Jama casually confirmed her romance with Manchester City player Rúben Dias with an iconic clapback to an internet troll. The tweet not only acted as a reminder that she won't put up with crap online, but also confirmed something momentous: she's happily joined a select group of women (and occasionally men) known as WAGS.
And she's not the only famous face taking on the title. First came Taylor Swift’s well documented relationship with NFL’s Travis Kelce, followed by GK Barry's romance with Ipswich Town football player Ella Rutherford. Then there's TikToker Alix Earle, who found love with Miami Dolphins player Braxton Berrios. It seems celebrities are flocking to sports' grounds to find their partners, joining an already established group of women at the helm of the wives-and-girlfriends' title.
The founding members of this new wave of WAGs? Well there’s 24-year-old Tolami Benson, who’s dating Bukayo Saka, and went viral during last year’s Euros thanks to her budding PR career and enviable outfits. Content creator and model Desiré Inglander who recently accepted pole vaulter Mondo Duplanatis’ proposal. And Morgan Riddle (the girlfriend of tennis player Taylor Fritz) and Alexandra Saint Mleux (Formula 1 driver Charles LeClerc’s partner), who together are all actively redefining what it means to be dating a sportsman.
In the WAG era of days gone by (the term was first used in 2002), footballers' wives were reduced to glorified 'plus ones', dismissed as professional shoppers who drank too much and danced on tables; a personification of the “ladette” culture heavily criticised in the press. Their presence at the 2006 World Cup was marred by tabloid fodder; with gossip column inches dedicated to made up feuds or off-pitch dramas. Essentially, there was no space for them to be their own people, or successful in their own right - despite many of them having careers in the public eye before a cropped England shirt even touched their shoulders (Cheryl and Victoria Beckham, we’re looking at you.)
Now in 2025, the WAGs are the main players in their relationships, calling the shots when it comes to their partners - and careers. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Jama looked back on her brief engagement to basketball player Ben Simmons (her last foray into the WAG world), touching on why she called things off back in 2022. “It was just a whirlwind romance, and I hadn’t done a lot of the things I wanted to do,” she shared, adding that she essentially decided to put herself - and her job - first. “I had so many career dreams I wanted to achieve before getting married.”
This energy is matched by the WAGs who have shot into the public eye as a result of their famous partners. Just look at Saka’s girlfriend Benson, who has a career as a PR executive, and LeClerc’s partner Saint Mleux, an art history student and content creator in her own right, who recently partnered with Hailey Bieber’s Rhode.
We’re also in a time where WAGs can control the narrative more. Where they were once only photographed out and about with their sports star partners, now, they’re in control of their image. With the arrival of social media, these wives and girlfriends can show the world exactly how they see themselves - and often it's not about their partner. Take a scroll through Benson’s Instagram and you’d have no idea she’s dating Saka. Instead, you see a woman who loves to travel, hang out with friends and wear incredible outfits. The same can be said for Saint-Mleux, Inglander and Riddle, whose social feeds are dedicated to their careers, pets, and families; not their famous plus-one.
The tide has turned; not only in the way WAGs present themselves, but crucially in the way we see them. Where the women were once blamed for England’s football failure (Rio Ferdinand said “we became a bit of a circus in terms of the whole Wag situation” while reflecting on the 2006 World Cup), they’re now being understood for the complexities and difficulties they encounter when dating a sports person.
Netflix’s Beckham shed a light on what Victoria, and many other WAGs, went through on a daily basis, from public scrutiny, to constant paparazzi attention and chants from football fans, like “Posh Spice takes it up the a**e.” Thankfully it feels like we’re finally moving away from this form of misogyny.
There will always be people who want to get closer to sports players and the fame and riches it brings. But this isn’t a precedent being set by the WAGs of 2025. They’re women who put themselves and their ambitions first. They could so easily give it all up and travel the world with their partner, abandoning themselves, their goals and dreams for the pursuit of their partner’s success, but they don’t. And while we may never find ourselves in WAG territory, these women serve as an important reminder to keep going on your own path and play the rules of your own game, no matter who your partner may be.
