The FIFA World Cup is widely regarded as a stage where fresh stars can announce themselves – both on and off the pitch. During the 2014 tournament in Brazil, Belgium supporters were thrilled as a new golden generation of talent finally made their mark on the world stage.
Belgium's Golden Generation
Guided by legendary former midfielder Marc Wilmots, a glittering squad featuring Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku effortlessly swept into the quarter-finals. The Red Devils won all three group matches comfortably before seeing off the United States in the round of 16. They quickly became fan favourites, only to be narrowly eliminated a round later by eventual finalists Argentina. But it wasn't solely Belgium's slick football that had everyone talking during the tournament – one fan was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, too.
Axelle Despiegelaere Goes Viral
Aged just 17 at the time, Belgian supporter Axelle Despiegelaere was photographed cheering on her country with two friends during their 1-0 group stage victory over Russia. Photographers at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro simply couldn't get enough of Axelle. She was clutching a pair of pom poms and wearing a red, yellow and black devil horn hat atop her head – a nod to the national side's nickname and colours. Photos of the blonde teenager went viral, with fans rushing to hail Axelle as football's 'most beautiful supporter.'
Modelling Contract with L'Oreal
The frenzy caught the eye of bosses at French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, who wasted no time in offering her a modelling contract. Axelle appeared to have landed a dream job, embarking on her new role as the face of a social media campaign promoting various products and treating fans to a 'hair tutorial' video.
Controversial Hunting Photo
But things turned sour rapidly after she posted an ill-judged photo on her Facebook page. The grainy image appeared to show Axelle clutching a hunting rifle, sitting beside 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.' The post swiftly sparked an enormous backlash online, with Axelle later insisting: 'I didn't mean to offend anyone.. it was a joke.'
Contract Terminated
But the damage was already done and L'Oreal promptly tore up her contract. Intriguingly, the beauty giants have never confirmed whether the hunting snap was the sole reason behind their decision.
Life After the Controversy
Twelve years on from her meteoric rise – and subsequent fall – 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 in 2022 and gave birth to their first child in December 2024.
