The FIFA World Cup is often heralded as a time for new stars to emerge, both on and off the pitch. During the 2014 tournament in Brazil, Belgium fans celebrated as a new golden generation of talent finally made their mark on the world stage. Coached by legendary former midfielder Marc Wilmots, a star-studded lineup including Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku stylishly advanced to the quarter-finals.
The Red Devils won all three group games comfortably before defeating the United States in the round of 16, only to be narrowly eliminated in the next round by eventual finalists Argentina. However, it wasn't just Belgium's impressive football that captured attention during the tournament—one supporter was suddenly thrust into the spotlight as well.
The Rise to Fame
Belgium supporter Axelle Despiegelaere was photographed cheering on her nation with two friends during their 1-0 group stage victory over Russia. Photographers at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro couldn't get enough of Axelle. She was holding pom-poms in her hand and wearing a red, yellow, and black devil horn hat on her head, a reference to the national team's nickname and colors.
Pictures of the blonde teenager went viral, with fans quickly hailing Axelle as football's 'most beautiful supporter' and the World Cup's 'sexiest fan.' The frenzy caught the attention of executives at French cosmetics company L'Oreal, who swiftly offered her a modelling contract.
The Contract and Controversy
Axelle seemed to have secured a career for life, beginning her new role as the star of a social media campaign where she promoted various products and gave fans a 'hair tutorial' video. However, things quickly soured after the then-17-year-old posted an ill-advised photo on her Facebook page. The grainy image appeared to show Axelle holding a hunting rifle, sitting next to a dead oryx. She captioned the post: 'Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that... this was about one year ago... ready to hunt Americans today haha.'
This sparked a fierce backlash online, with Axelle later adding: 'I didn't mean to offend anyone.. it was a joke.' But the damage was already done, and L'Oreal quickly terminated her contract, although the beauty giant never confirmed if the hunting photo was the sole reason.
Life After the Spotlight
Twelve years after her dramatic rise and fall, the now 29-year-old Axelle works in her native Belgium as the co-founder of Spinvest Group, a family-owned property development and investment company. She married her partner Emile Steyaert in 2022 and gave birth to their first child in December 2024.
