ROM COM
Inside self-confessed sex addict Romario’s mad world, from dating younger women to controversial career goals tally
Romario's colourful life has also seen him dive into politics in his homeland
ROMARIO's life off the pitch has been more colourful than his life was on it since he hung up his boots in 2009.
The legendary Brazil striker, 59, who claims to have scored over one thousand career goals, is reportedly dating a student 30 years his junior.
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The woman in question, Alicya Gomes, reportedly met him during last year’s municipal elections in Brazil, where Romario works in politics.
They were first snapped together on a night out at Rock in Rio last October, when Romario took Alicya to watch Mariah Carey.
World Cup winner Romario also has six children, including one born from an extra-matrimonial affair with an actress while he was still with his second wife Daniele Favato.
SunSport delves into the former Barcelona star's mad world.
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'Sex mad'
In 2018, Romario was branded 'sex mad' in his homeland.
The reasoning; because he told Gabriel Jesus to have "lots of sex" to help him score goals before heading to the World Cup that year.
Then, in 2022 he claimed his sex life was always "f***ing good" and enjoyed wild romps with his wife before matches.
“Sometimes on match day I would stay at home, away from the rest of the team. If I’d wake up horny, I’d have sex with my wife and then go to the game," he wrote in a piece for the Players' Tribune.
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“On the pitch, it made me feel calmer and lighter.”
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Even his former team-mates were privy to his sexcapades.
Barça icon Hristo Stoichkov once exclaimed: "Romario was only interested in two things: football and f***ing.
"Romario’s lifestyle, his constant coming and going caused problems with his wife."
Young lovers
Romario has been married three times.
He divorced first wife Monica Santoro in 1995 after admitting countless affairs.
A year later, the 5ft 6in goal poacher married Brazilian beauty Danielle Favatto.
But, that didn't stop him from straying and five years later they split in 2001.
His old Brazil colleague Ronaldo told Sport in 2011: "In 1997, during Copa America, Romario convinced me to escape with him from the hotel.
"Romario was the first to climb over the wall and soon after I came in. Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, there was a taxi waiting for us and we spent our nights in good company.
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"It was all handled very intricately, but I cannot give any more details."
Romario last walked down the aisle with model Isabelle Bittencourt in 2002, then divorced her 12 years later.
To satisfy his libido, he has since dated a string of young women.
Last year, he was linked to pretty 34-year-old brunette Maria Geusiane Santos.
They met during a night out in Rio de Janeiro and romance blossomed.
The pair were spotted enjoying a romantic stroll on the picturesque Barra Beach, with the events promoter showing off her curves in a mini Brazil flag bikini.
Before Maria, Romario got close to influencer Marcelle Ceolin - who was 25 years younger than him.
It was reported that he introduced some of his six children to her during their seven-month love affair.
Singer Dixie Pratt, who was a teenager at the time, and another student Ana Karoline Nazario, were also linked with the lothario.
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Epic career
Aside from his extra-curricular activities away from football, on the pitch Romario was a master goalscorer.
Before Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi provided epic numbers of goals, he was knocking them in for fun.
According to official records, he scored 690 goals in 893 games in club football.
In 2007, while in mid-30s, he was still one of Brazil's most prolific marksman in the top-flight - scoring 15 times for Vasco de Gama in just 19 games in all competitions.
He briefly came out of retirement in 2024 at the age of 58 to play for America Football Club in Rio de Janeiro, alongside his son Romarinho in Brazil's second tier.
In Europe, he's fondly remembered by PSV fans where he boasted a record of 128 goals in 149 matches.
While despite an acrimonious falling out with Johan Cruyff, his memorable hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of rivals Real Madrid for Barcelona is still fondly remembered by Catalan fans.
On the international stage, Romario managed 55 goals in 70 games - most memorably coming alive at the 1994 World Cup, where he helped Brazil lift the trophy in the USA with five goals in the tournament.
Still, there's a debate to be had about the number of goals he has scored.
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His research team claim he scored his 1,000th goal for Vasco, a penalty kick against Sport Recife.
Amusingly, the game was stopped for 20 minutes to allow celebrations from the fans.
However, there is some controversy over the number - with his goals in junior, friendly and non-official games reportedly being included in that total.
The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation believe his career tally to be 968 goals in 1188 games.
While a DVD released in 2008 with the best goals of his career featured 900 goals.
Either way, it didn't stop Vasco unveiling a statue of Romário at the São Januário soon after.
Life after football
No doubt that Romario's popularity has boosted a political career he launched in 2010 when he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil.
By 2014, he was elected to the Senate with the most votes received ever by a candidate representing the state of Rio de Janeiro.
That year, Romario was very vocal about Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup - pushing the belief the event was immersed in corruption and money laundering.
That notion continued four years later, when the former forward claimed that the holding of the 2018 World Cup was "stolen" from England and sold to Russia, as part of a 2011 scandal involving Fifa and corruption and bribery.
By 2017, Romario left the Brazilian socialist party, PSB to join, Podemos, previously known as the country's National Labour Party.
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He lost out in the race to be governor of Rio in 2018, before switching allegiances to the Liberal Party.
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Most recently, Romario endorsed the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro.
Maybe he's hoping for a good word for his own presidency bid one day.
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