Romario, who openly identifies as a sex addict, has ended his relationship with a university student who is 37 years his junior.

The 59-year-old Brazilian football icon began dating 22-year-old Alicya Gomes in September of last year. This relationship followed his previous seven-month romance with Marcelle Ceolin, an influencer 25 years younger than him.

Recent developments indicate that Romario’s high-profile relationship with Alicya has concluded, as evidenced by the fact that they no longer follow each other on social media platforms.

The couple initially crossed paths during an electoral campaign.

They were first publicly seen together at the Rock in Rio music festival last October, where Romario took the young brunette to see Mariah Carey perform.

Brazilian football legend Romario has split with his student girlfriend 37 years his junior

The football lothario had been dating Alicya Gomes for one year but reports claim they’ve split

It wasn’t until February that local media identified Alicya, who comes from the Baixada Fluminense region on Guanabara Bay, north of Rio de Janeiro. This followed sightings of the pair spending more time together, and her presence among the 800 guests at Romario’s birthday celebration shortly after he turned 59 on January 31.

The nutrition student reacted by privatising her Instagram where she had 5,000 followers, fuelling speculation the pair had 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 have generated.

Shortly before she attended his 59th birthday party, the former footballer threw a party at his mansion to celebrate Alicya’s 22nd birthday, saying in a social media message at the time: ‘Congratulations, baby. Peace, happiness, wisdom, light, and good health always! You are simply wonderful in every way.’

The huge age difference had sparked a heated debate on social media.

One fan of the former footballer wrote on Instagram when details of their relationship emerged: ‘Age is only a number’ and another insisted: ‘Love doesn’t recognise age’ before adding: ‘I hope they’re very happy together.’

Others suggested Alicya wouldn’t give Romario a second look if he was a minimum-wage worker but were rebuked by angry Rio resident Camila Carol who said: ‘Let Romario be happy.

‘He gave us so much happiness with his football.’

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.

The striker, one of the most clinical finishers ever seen in football, recognised 19-year-old Raphael Faria as his son after DNA tests.

He was branded ‘sex-mad’ after revealing in May 2018 he had recommended ‘lots of sex’ to Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus ahead of that year’s World Cup.

Romario is a self-confessed sex addict and has fathered six children with different women

In January 2022 he claimed sex was always ‘f***ing 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 pretty influencer Marcelle Ceolin, his last serious girlfriend before Alicya, off to the Atlantic Ocean paradise of Fernando de Noronha 220 miles off Brazil’s north-east coast in February 2022 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.

They split in August 2022 with Marcelle moving out of Romario’s home on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro and heading back to her native city of Bage in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Romario is also thought to have enjoyed a brief romance with a pretty 34-year-old brunette called Maria Geusiane Santos between his two more serious relationships.

He was said to have met her in January last year during a night out in Rio de Janeiro around the time he turned 58.

They were later photographed together on Rio’s picture-postcard Barra Beach, with the shapely events promoter showing off her curves in a mini Brazil flag bikini.