SELF-CONFESSED sex addict Romario has begun dating a woman three decades younger than him. The football icon-turned politician won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and played for the likes of Barcelona. But away from the pitch and political office, Romario, 59, is said to be getting serious with student Alicya Gomes. Brazilian media say she is 29-years-old and therefore an astonishing 30 years younger than the former striker.

The pair reportedly met during last year’s municipal elections in Brazil. They were first snapped together on a night out at Rock in Rio last October, when Romario took Alicya to watch Maria Carey. They were also spotted enjoying more time together at his birthday bash two days later - where she was one of the 800 guests at the party. Alicya recently made her Instagram private and she has 5,000 followers.

It has fuelled speculation that the couple have decided to try to keep their relationship out of the public eye as much as possible following the attention Romario’s previous flings with far younger women generated. The legend was linked to a 34-year-old brunette called Maria Geusiane Santos in March last year, who he was said to have met during a night out in Rio de Janeiro around the time he turned 58.

They were photographed together on Rio’s picture-postcard Barra Beach, with the events promoter showing off her curves in a bikini. Before getting close to Maria, Romario enjoyed a seven-month love affair with Marcelle Ceolin, an influencer 25 years his junior, who he introduced to some of his six children from his previous relationships. Romario’s six children from different relationships include a son born from an extra-matrimonial affair with an actress while he was still with his second wife Daniele Favato.

He was branded “sex-mad” after revealing in May 2018 that he had recommended “lots of sex” to Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus ahead of that year's World Cup. In January 2022 he claimed sex was always “f*****g good” for him and he would sleep with his wife right before matches. Writing for the Players’ Tribune he said: “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.

“On the pitch, it made me feel calmer and lighter.”. Romario whisked Marcelle off to the Atlantic Ocean paradise of Fernando de Noronha 220 miles off Brazil’s north-east coast weeks after they started dating. She let her new man film her as a giant wave washed over her in a salt-water pool by a glorious white sand beach. The influencer went on to admit her “soul was happy” as they lapped up the archipelago’s fantastic views.