While their achievements, records, and performances are celebrated, it's their stories off the field that sometimes catch the public's eye, revealing the human side of these superstars.
Among such stories, those involving paternity tests stand out, unraveling tales of family, identity, and sometimes, unexpected turns in personal relationships.
In this listicle, we delve into the lives of five former sports icons who turned to DNA testing to confirm the paternity of their children.
1 . Geremi: Former Chelsea and Cameroon midfielder, Geremi Njitap filed for divorce from his wife, Laure Fotso after DNA tests showed his two children were fathered by her ex.
Geremi, 45, said the couple’s twins were born after wife Laure had a fling.
The documents, which were leaked to media in Yaounde, alleged that she “destroyed the harmony” of their marriage “through her abject behaviour” and “repeated lies.”
The twins were born in June 2008, four years before the couple tied the knot, and the court papers added: “No children have been born from this union… [and] the discovery that the children were from her previous partner destroyed the couple’s harmony.”
Geremi said that his wife has “psychologically damaged him” with the revelation causing “a huge emotional shock.” He described the revelation, which came following a paternity test, as a “serious and renewed violation of the duties and obligations of marriage.”
2 . Asamoah Gyan: Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan conducted a DNA test on his 3 children with his ex-wife Gifty.
The former Black Stars captain was then doubting the legitimacy of his three children and therefore requested for a DNA paternity test to be carried out on each of them to ascertain the truth.
After five years of protracted dispute, the court finally ruled on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, that Gyan is the biological father of all three children of Gifty Gyan.
The couple’s marriage made the headlines when Gyan filed for a divorce at the Matrimonial Division of the High Court in Accra in 2018.
3 . Nii Odartey Lamptey: Former Black Stars player Nii Odartey Lamptey found out that all his children with his ex-wife were not his through a DNA test.
"I thought I was the father but upon rumours that they are not my kids, they said I have to do a DNA," he told Accra-based TV3 in an interview.
The former Aston Villa star said his lawyer showed him “where they do the DNA, I got to know that yes, the kids are not mine."
The football world was in shock when Odartey Lamptey opened up that the three children he raised with ex-wife Gloria Appiah, were not his biological children.
4 . Ronaldo: Brazilian footballer Ronaldo announced in 2010 that he is undergoing a DNA test to determine whether he is the father of a five-year-old boy living in Singapore.
"Life is full of suprises. After the sadness over yesterday's game (when his Corinthians team lost a national championship by drawing Sunday against rivals Goias), today I got to know Alex, a beautiful, polite and healthy boy," the 34-year-old player wrote.
"Now we are waiting for the results of the test and will take on the responsibilities and pleasures that the results give us," he said.
5 . Anthony Annan: Former Black Stars midfielder Anthony Annan, in 2018, pursued a divorce with wife Gifty Annan over paternity of his kids.
According to the wife, the former Rosenborg midfielder is pursuing a divorce of their union with Annan pressing for a DNA paternity test regarding their children.
According to the wife, they have resorted to all avenues, to resolve the issue at hand but efforts have failed so far.
“The problem began when I realised he had a child outside our marriage, Anthony Annan claims our kids are not his and wants a DNA Test. We have had several family meetings to resolve the marital issues but to no avail,” Gifty Annan told Happy FM.