AXELLE DESPIEGELAERE shot to fame at the 2014 World Cup after being spotted in the Belgium crowd.
The glamorous fan and even earned a contract to model for cosmetics company L’Oreal as a teenager.
Axelle Despiegelaere shot to fame at the 2014 World Cup Credit: Getty – Contributor
She was spotted amongst the Belgian supporters Credit: Getty
Axelle, now 28, gained nearly 30,000 followers on as she built a sizeable fan base.
The moment fans fawned after her was after she was caught on TV cameras amongst the Belgian fans.
She was seen wearing devil horns in support of her nation along with face paint and pom-poms.
It was during the Red Devils’ round of 16 clash with the at the tournament in .
and netted in extra time to send the Europeans through to the quarter-finals of the with a 2-1 victory.
But for Axelle, it was the game that changed her life as the new notoriety saw extra focus being put on her social media channels.
And one post sparked controversy after it was discovered by her newfound fans.
The post in question showed her posing with a gun next to a dead gazelle in Africa.
The image was posted on along with the caption: “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.”
Axelle gained thousands of followers on social media Credit: Getty
She was spotted at Belgium’s win over USA Credit: Alamy
She landed a modelling contract with L’Oreal Credit: AFP
But the contract was cancelled after a controversial post of her hunting was found Credit: Getty
The image caused a social media backlash which led to L’Oreal to quickly announce that her contract would be ended.
A spokesperson said: “L’Oreal Professionnel collaborated with her on an ad hoc basis to produce a video for social media use in Belgium.
“The contract has now been completed.”
The company added that it was aware of the picture but did not comment that it was the reason behind the termination of her contract.
But the brand did add that it “no longer tests on animals, anywhere in the world, and does not delegate this task to others.”
Axelle is now married to kite surfer Emile Steyaert – a sport she has tried her own hand at.
Axelle has nearly 30k followers on Instagram Credit: Instagram @despiegelaereaxelle
She is now married to Emile Steyaert Credit: Instagram @despiegelaereaxelle
The couple welcomed their first child Raphaelle, 1, to the world in December 2024.
She regularly posts updates on her Instagram of her family and their holidays together.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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