16 years ago, a Paraguayan fan stole all the attention during the 2010 South Africa World Cup and ended up becoming known all over the planet as “the World Cup girlfriend”. Her popularity grew explosively thanks to the images that went around the world and turned her into one of the tournament’s most memorable faces.
Now, as the 2026 World Cup approaches, model and influencer Larissa Riquelme is once again at the center of the conversation. In recent months, she has renewed her connection with soccer, taking part in sports coverage and stirring nostalgia among those who remember her as one of the most unexpected viral phenomena of a World Cup.
With millions of followers on social media and an established career in the media, many fans are already hoping to see her once again linked to the most important sporting event on the planet.
This is Larissa today:
