Colombian iconic singer, Shakira has described her husband and FC Barcelona veteran defender, Gerard Pique as the best center back in the world.
The 45-year-old Colombian multiple Grammy awards winner made this assertion after Pique helped FC Barcelona to beat Real Madrid 4-0 on Sunday, March 20, 2022.
Recall that coach Xavi Hernandez did not have a choice but to use Pique in Barca’s defense during the El Clasico match because of his wealth of experience. He was able to partner with Eric Garcia in the center of Barca’s defense.
The duo in conjunction with Jordi Alba and Ronald Araujo were able to ensure that Real Madrid did not score any goal against Barca at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Even though Pique spent three months struggling with an ACL injury last year, he was able to gather all the fitness he needed to give Barca a resounding victory away from home.
After the 4-0 bashing of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, Gerard Pique took to his Twitter page to tweet that FC Barcelona that started the 2021-2022 season struggling are back to the fierce Barca side they used to be.
We are back.
— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) March 20, 2022
On the part of his wife, Shakira took to social media to post a picture of herself holding up four fingers which signified the 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid by FC Barcelona.
In the caption, the Colombian singer wrote in Spanish that Pique would not want her to praise him in public. She however went on to describe her husband as a hero and the best center-back in the world.
“Gerard won’t let me say these things publicly,” Shakira wrote on Instagram and Twitter.
“But, only he with his heroism can play like this, overcoming any injury or pain and always giving his best.
“It’s not because he’s my husband, but he’s the best center-back in the world.”
So far this season, Gerard Pique who is a product of FC Barcelona football academy has made 36 appearances and has scored three goals in all competitions.
The contract of the 35-year-old Spanish footballer at FC Barcelona will expire on June 30, 2024. Pique used to earn £450,000-a-week at the club before he accepted a 50 percent pay cut recently.
What we know about the marriage between Shakira and Gerard Pique
Reports claimed that Shakira and Gerard Pique made their first one-on-one contact ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa when the Colombian singer was working on “Waka Waka”, the World Cup theme song.
Pique who appeared in the video of the song continued to build his relationship with Shakira after the project. In 2011, the public got to know that the two celebrities were dating each other.
The love affairs grow so fast that Pique and Shakira got married in 2011 and started having children almost immediately.
Even though Shakira is 10 years older than Pique, the love affair has never stopped growing stronger. Currently, the marriage has produced two children – Sasha Piqué Mebarak, and Milan Piqué Mebarak.
The beautiful family is living happily in the city of Barcelona, Spain, due to the football career of Pique.
How old is Gerard Pique?
Gerard Pique was born on February 2, 1987, in Barcelona, Spain. This means that Gerard Pique turned 35-year-old in 2022.
Though he was born in Barcelona, the city where one of the best football academies, La Masia, is located, Pique decided to leave La Masia in 2004 for the Manchester United football academy.
After four years at the Premier League club, he decided to return to FC Barcelona in 2008 during the reign of coach Pep Guardiola. Since then, he has remained the most important player at the Spanish club.
Interestingly, Pique is 10 years older than his wife, Shakira who is currently 45-year-old.
How tall is Gerard Pique?
Gerard Pique is a center-defender which means that he needs to have a good height to defend with all parts of his body, especially his head.
Currently, the 35-year-old defender is one of the tallest footballers at FC Barcelona. Gerard Pique is 1.94 meters tall. While his wife, Shakira is 1.57 meters tall.
How to pronounce Gerard Pique?
In Spanish, Pique is spelled Piqué with a mark pointing to the right on the last letter of the name.
The correct British pronunciation of Gerard Piqué is: jeh. raad. pee. kay. While American pronunciation is: jr. aard. pee. kay.
Gerard Pique’s net worth
Gerard Pique has been playing professional football since 2004 which means that he has been earning a good salary since then to date. Hence, he is expected to have made good money from his earnings as a footballer already.
Since Pique is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, he is among the best-paid defenders in the game.
The retired Spain international is currently earning between £165,000 and £198,000 per week at FC Barcelona which has risen his net worth to around $80 million.
Aside from his salary, the 35-year-old Spanish footballer who has been in a relationship with Shakira since 2010, is making good money from his endorsement deal with sportswear making company Nike.
According to a report by Forbes in 2017, Pique earns around $3 million in endorsements per year which is expected to have increased significantly by now. Most reports claimed that Pique now earns nothing less than $6 million aside from his regular salary as an FC Barcelona player.
Note that Pique has a special deal with Nike which has been producing special boots known as The Nike Tiempo Legend Gerard Pique Boot since 2016.
All these economic activities have summed up Gerard Pique’s net worth to be nothing less than $80 million.
Gerard Pique’s cars and house
Gerard Pique has a good number of cars in his garage. Some of the notable cars in his possession include Audi RS7, Range Rover, Mercedes, BMW, and Audi Q7.
His latest addition to his fleet of cars is Aston Martin DB9 which reportedly cost around £140,000.
Pique also owns an eco-friendly car known as Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe. It comes with a powerful battery, which can work together or individually. The electric-only capacity enables it to run for up to 48 kilometres without using any petrol.
The retired Spain international reportedly paid around £100,000 to purchase the car in 2021.
Gerard Pique, his wife, Shakira, and his two children, Milan Piqué Mebarak, and Sasha Piqué Mebarak live in a €5 million mansion in the city of Barcelona, Spain.
Though the mansion was burgled in 2018, the footballer and his wife who is a Colombian music legend are still living happily together in the mansion.
Is Gerard Pique retired?
Gerard Pique has retired from international football since 2018 which means that he can no longer play for Spain’s national team.
But he is still very active at the club level. Pique is still contracted to FC Barcelona until June 30, 2024.
So far this season, Pique has played 36 times in all competitions for Barcelona in which he scored three goals.
