Is Shakira Secretly Dating Retired Spanish Footballer Iker Casillas After Gerard Pique Split?

Grammy winner Shakira has been linked to another football star after her split from Gerard Pique earlier this year.

There have been rumors that the singer is romantically involved with one of her ex-partner’s former colleagues -- Iker Casillas, reported TNG News. The former Real Madrid player recently became single, according to First Sportz.

Shakira and Casillas have at least one thing in common. Both have had quite scandalous separations in recent months. Since the retired Spanish footballer ended his marriage with TV presenter Sara Carbonero last year, he has been more active on social networking sites. Going by his recent activity, the Spanish soccer star has started following Shakira on Instagram.

But the artist is yet to follow him back on Instagram. Many have suggested that this may be a sign that Casillas is interested in getting closer to Shakira romantically. But the two have not spoken about it. They have known each other for some time, but it is only now that he decided to follow the singer, reported Tennis World.

This comes after it was reported that model Bar Refaeli and Pique probably dated in 2012, when the footballer and Shakira were still in a relationship.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Shakira revealed how motherhood affected her musical career. Her focus shifted to taking care of her two children whom she shares with Pique. She said that when she had her first son, Milan, she took him with her everywhere since "he was two months old." Shakira even remembers breastfeeding the little boy during "The Voice." And once her son started going to school, at "the end of 2014, I understood that my trips (…) had to stay in the background, that my career had to go into the background."

She even moved to Spain so that her partner could continue with his profession. Shakira shared that one of the two "had to make that effort and that sacrifice. And I did it." She said that she put her career on the "back burner and came to Spain to support him." She called it an "act of love." But she is thankful to that as her children "were able to have a mother present."