Football's weirdest weddings! Hiring kidnappers to abduct their guests, getting matching tattoos at the altar, ditching Beyonce to elope and sending a sibling in their place... most bizarre nuptials for stars and their WAGs

It's not every day you hear about a bride 'kidnapping her wedding guests', but when it comes to footballers and their WAGs getting married, you can't rule anything out. Just ask David de Gea. 

The former Manchester United goalkeeper and his wife Edurne Garcia carted their guests off to the venue in vans without any pre-warning - claiming they wanted to make their 'special day an 'unforgettable experience'. 

So, with the above in mind, Mail Sport have decided to take a look at the most surprising and somewhat bizarre incidents that have taken place at the weddings of the biggest names in the sport. 

From David Beckham opting for a Robin Hood-themed wedding, Sergio Ramos hiring bumper cars, Lionel Messi banning mobile phones and one professional footballer sending his bother in his place, you really couldn't write it. 

But, we've tried. 

It's not every day you hear about a bride 'kidnapping her wedding guests', but when it comes to footballers, you can't rule anything out. Just ask former United keeper David de Gea

David Beckham 

Posh and Becks opted for a Robin Hood-themed wedding when they got hitched at Dublin's Luttrellstown Castle and stared down at their very star-studded guests from giant golden thrones while wearing matching purple outfits - which David later called 'ridiculous' and likened to Dumb & Dumber. 

Sparing no expense, the power couple hired Bentley's Entertainments, organisers of Elton John's birthday as well as Princess Anne's 40th, to mastermind the highly-publicised showbiz event. 

Their picturesque Irish venue sat on 560 acres and dated back to the 18th century, with organiser Peregrine Armstrong-Jones telling OK! how 'Victoria wanted somewhere really private and unique, somewhere leafy and green'.

David and Victoria Beckham wore matching purple outfits for their wedding (pictured above)

She had hired Simon Lycett, who worked on the 90s rom-com Four Weddings And A Funeral, to set up the floral arrangements - complete with fresh apples which had been pierced and dotted around the castle in order to discharge the scent of fruit.

With David rocking up in a £230,000 Bentley Azure wearing a cream suit designed by Timothy Everett, Victoria sported a Vera Wang dress as she rode in style in a Bentley Arnage.

She commanded attention in a diamond-and-gold crown, which was custom-built by Slim Barrett who had previously crafted accessories for Princess Diana.

After the wedding, the future fashion designer - who was still a member of the Spice Girls - invited each of her bandmates to listen on as an 18-piece string orchestra played their own renditions of the group's chart-topping hits during a three-course meal. 

Sparing no expense, the couple hired Bentley's Entertainments, organisers of Elton John 's birthday as well as Princess Anne 's 40th, to mastermind the highly-publicised showbiz event

Lionel Messi

More than 250 friends and family - including some of football's biggest names - jetted to Argentina, to watch Lionel Messi marry Antonella Roccuzzo at a plush hotel complex as an alleged family feud threatened to overshadow the day. 

The couple, who have known each other for some 25 years, banned mobile phones at the event. Staff were also sworn to secrecy and 450 police officers were drafted in for the big day.

The world's press lined a red carpet at the entrance of the hotel in Rosario. Guests chose whether to walk along it to be photographed and interviewed, or go through a discreet side entrance. 

More than 250 friends and family - including some of football's biggest names - jetted to Argentina, to watch Lionel Messi marry Antonella Roccuzzo at a plush hotel complex

Women guests were reportedly encouraged to bring three dresses to avoid clashes or repeats of clothes, or even colours and textures, while male guests were told to take three different types of shirts. 

The wife of former Argentina and Manchester City defender Marin Demichelis, playboy model Evangelina Anderson, reportedly brought five dresses to make sure she her outfit wasn't similar to any of the other WAGS.

The occasion was briefly interrupted by a group of workers representing 600 people who had recently been sacked from Pepsico in the city, who took advantage of the media presence to protest with banners and chants.

Meanwhile, one Messi superfan, a Brazilian called Alex who is also a Messi double, claimed he had come to Rosario to marry his wife at exactly the same time as the footballer, on a homemade altar on the pavement outside the hotel.

And in a surprise moment for Antonella, arranged by Messi without her knowledge, Argentinian singer Abel Pintos ended the ceremony singing her favourite song, Sin Principio ni final (Without Beginning or End). 

Women guests were encouraged to bring three dresses to avoid clashes or repeats of clothes, or even colours and textures, while male guests were told to take three different types of shirts

Gareth Bale 

Gareth Bale married his childhood sweetheart at a spectacular Mediterranean estate, which played host to film a hit BBC spy thriller. However, it's believed the ceremony was so private the guests were only told the location 24 hours before and had to hand over their mobile phones to ex-SAS security guards. 

The pair originally planned a star-studded occasion in a picturesque Italian castle with Beyonce as their wedding singer. But, they switched it to the island of Tagomago where Bale had proposed to Emma two years earlier.

Gareth Bale married his childhood sweetheart at a spectacular Mediterranean estate, which played host to film a hit BBC spy thriller

Sergio Ramos 

Former Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla gave fans a hilarious insight into what took place at Sergio Ramos' wedding - revealing how the former Real Madrid captain and long-time girlfriend Pilar Rubio hired bumper cars and handed out churros at the Spanish wedding. 

Cazorla said: 'I only drank rum, one after another. I was loyal and only drank rum. I didn't mix drinks because know it can catch up to me. After rum I went on to churros with chocolate. The churros were amazing.'

'Then I went on the bumper cars, which I hadn't done since I was 15 and I didn't fall off in an hour-and a-half. Honestly, this day had it all, there were no cameras, no phones, nothing.'

He went on to add: 'I ended up with a sore ankle from dancing, but it was worth it. Pepe Reina stayed with me and ended up tearing his shirt and I told him; "Pepe, it's time to leave.''

After the ceremony, the couple celebrated at the groom's estate near Seville, where the guests would only be allowed in with a temporary unicorn tattoo and once they had surrendered their cell phones and any other devices with cameras or microphones. 

Photographs in Spanish media in the days leading up to the event showed a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a stage and Indian teepees had been set up.

The banquet was being prepared by chef Dani Garcia, who has won three Michelin stars for his restaurant in the Andalusian resort Marbella. While the performance by AC/DC was said to be a wedding gift from Ramos to his wife. 

Sergio and long-time girlfriend Pilar Rubio hired bumper cars and handed out churros

Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane hit the headlines for his surprise wedding. He sealed the knot with 19-year-old Aisha Tamba earlier this year. 

The wedding is believed to have taken place on January 7 in Keur Massar, an area in the capital city of Dakar, just six days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations on January 13. 

Mane jetted off to join up with the Senegal squad for the competition but stopped off on the way to marry Tamba, with the pair keeping their relationship secret until they were married. 

Reports claim Aisha 'was long intended for the 31-year-old footballer since her teenage years' though it is not known exactly how long they have been dating. The legal age of consent in Senegal is 16 years of age.

Sadio Mane hit the headlines for his surprise wedding. He sealed the knot with 19-year-old Aisha Tamba earlier this year

The couple share the same religion, Islam, and are both said to be private people. A few of the official wedding photos were shared on @SMane_Officiel, with the caption 'thanks to God' written in Arabic.

Pictures of the wedding, which took place in Senegal, have been published on Instagram by photography company @Magvision_Evens_Officiel. The photos show Mane and his wife, who is the daughter of an architect, holding hands and posing after the ceremony.

One image shows the pair sitting below a display of roses, with the words 'Mrs Mane' imprinted on the wall.

David de Gea

David de Gea's wife, Edurne Garcia, revealed she and her husband 'kidnapped all their guests' during their wedding in July and 'put them in vans' as they wanted to make their special day an 'unforgettable experience for their guests'. 

The singer and television presenter, 38, who represented Spain in Eurovision in 2015, also opened up on the incredible post-ceremony celebrations, claiming there was a 'fun fair, zip lines and a foam party' for their guests. 

De Gea's wedding came in the aftermath of a contract standoff between himself and Manchester United. The 33-year-old shot stopper, who had spent 12 years at the club, ultimately became a free agent after no agreement had been reached between both parties to extend his £375,000-per-year contract.

But the Spanish goalkeeper didn't let the disappointment of being let go by United ruin his special day, tying the knot with the TV presenter and actress, in 2023 at a lavish ceremony in Menorca. 

'My intention was to get married once in my life and I was clear that it had to be big and something that represented David and me,' the 38-year-old said to television presenter Pablo Motos on the Spanish show 'El Hormiguero', per Marca. 

David de Gea was all smiles as he married long-term partner Edurne Garcia in Menorca

De Gea's wife added: 'The ceremony, the cocktail party and so on are very good, but after the cocktail party I wanted it to be a surprise and that it was an unforgettable day for the guests.

'So, we did a kind of gymkhana and at dinner, during the desserts, I 'kidnapped' all the guests and put them in vans,' she added before the show cut to an advertising break.

She continued after the break: 'There were like 20 kidnappers. I'm very playful, I like to play. I like escape rooms, I like people to have a good time. It's true that I thought about myself and maybe the guests didn't feel like it. But it is also true that they all had a great time. 

'I 'kidnapped' them and took them to another place where I had prepared a gymkhana for them with games like 'El comecocos' (Pac Man) or 'Fortnite' for them to play. 

'Then, after that yes, there was another fun fair that was the zip line and the foam party, which was an illusion that I had had all my life.' 

It came despite the goalkeeper recently becoming a free agent after leaving Man United 

Mohamed Buya Turay 

Mohamed Buya Turay missed his own wedding to sign for Swedish club Malmo and sent his brother in his place. 

The wedding was set for July 21 but Swedish club Malmo wanted the then 27-year-old to join up with them as soon as possible. 

So Turay missed the ceremony and was instead travelled to Sweden to be unveiled as a Malmo player on July 22.

But in a 'cunning' plan, his brother switched places with him at the wedding to walk the aisle alongside bride Suad Baydoun. 

Turay told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet: 'We got married on July 21 in Sierra Leone. But I was not there because Malmo asked me to arrive earlier.'

Turay who had posed for pictures with his wife in their wedding outfits before he left for Sweden and posted them on Twitter (X).

'We took the picture beforehand, so it looks like I was there, but I was not. My brother got to represent me at the actual wedding,' he said on Twitter (X). 

Turay shared pictures on social media of himself and his wife - taken weeks before the wedding

Wilfried Zaha

Zaha married long-term partner Paige Bannister after getting engaged on Valentine's Day last year. Their wedding was attended by several A-listers, including Stormzy. 

The new wife of the 30-year-old Crystal Palace legend posted stunning black and white pictures from the wedding on Instagram, including photos of them cutting the cake, together outside the venue and during the celebrations. 

The pair have not revealed the location of where there wedding took place, but there is no doubt it was somewhere spectacular from looking at the photos. 

Former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has married long term partner Paige Bannister

His wife posted a series of black and white photographs from the wedding ceremony online

Zaha's future remains uncertain after leaving Crystal Palace following the end of his contract

Among the guests in attendance was rapper Stormzy, who is set to partner with Zaha as co-owners of ninth-tier side Croydon Athletic

Thibaut Courtois 

The Real Madrid goalkeeper and Israeli model Mishel Gerzig  got married in the French town of Cannes. Their wedding took place at the Chateau De La Croix Des Gardes, in the heart of the French Riviera. The venue has 16 guest bedrooms and even a helicopter landing pad. 

The property became famous in the 1950s for being the setting of the Alfred Hitchcock movie 'To Catch a Thief' starring Grace Kelly.  

Guests were given white trainers bearing the couple's names and date of the wedding, and were also welcome with glasses of champagne which also bore the name of the newlyweds.  

Ahead of the big day, guests were treated to a welcoming party at a private beach. However, the wedding itself took place in the aftermath of captaincy drama within the Belgian national team.  

Courtois reportedly failed to arrive for Belgium duty after Romelu Lukaku was named captain ahead of him for their draw with Austria. 

Bradley Dack

Bradley Dack also had a celebrity wedding as he married Olivia Attwood - The Only Way is Essex star. They got married in London at the five star Bulgari hotel with Attwood wearing a £30,000 wedding dress.

She shared a lot of insight into the big day on Instagram, revealing extravagant details such as having 25,000 flowers, a ten tier cake and a celebrity tattooist that inked both her and Dack.

The wedding was also filmed for her show Olivia Meets Her Match - though she has decided to keep parts of the day hidden as a surprise for viewers when the programme airs.

Photos taken on the big day showed the newlyweds getting the phrase 'Till Death Do Us Part' inked on their arms by top tattoo artist Pablo.

Attwood had the words 'Till Death' inked on her arm while former Blackburn star Dack had 'Do Us Part' on his.

Bradley Dack married Olivia Attwood in London at the five-star Bulgari hotel

Photos from inside the reception revealed a towering ten tier white wedding cake with iced roses

Bernardo Silva 

The Manchester City midfielder tied the knot with model Ines Tomaz in front of 250 guests including a host of team mates earlier this month.

Both the ceremony and celebration took place at a hilltop hotel and winery on a 120-hectare vineyard estate in the Douro Valley - an hour and a half's drive inland from the city of Porto.  

Silva opted for a suit by Lisbon-based tailors Rosa and Teixeira, while his singer sister Maria Carvalho e Silva, performed at the celebration with Bernardo briefly joining her on stage and surprising guests with an ably-performed duo. 

Silva has been together with his wife since 2020 and they are currently expecting their first child.

The 28-year-old, along with his Man City team mates posted photos from the wedding, which had a stunning scenic backdrop containing sprawling hills and the winding Douro River below them.