Model Joana Sanz and former professional footballer Dani Alves have officially ended their nine-year relationship, with divorce proceedings now underway.
The separation follows a tumultuous period for the couple, marked by legal battles and Alves’s recent transition into a public life as an evangelical preacher and international conference speaker.
The dissolution of the marriage, first reported by journalist Javi Hoyos, arrives just over a year after the birth of the couple’s daughter, Julieta. While the pair had navigated significant public scrutiny during Alves’s legal proceedings in 2023 and 2024, the current rift stems from a fundamental shift in the former defender’s personal priorities.
The disconnect between the two parties centers on the intensity of Alves’s new vocational focus. According to accounts shared by Hoyos, Sanz has expressed that she felt increasingly isolated within the marriage as the former footballer committed his time to religious circuits. Despite her stated respect for his faith, the divergence in their daily lives and personal values proved insurmountable.
Sanz addressed the speculation directly on social media, confirming the separation in response to inquiries regarding her absence from his religious engagements. “Aprovecho para aclarar que llevamos separados algún tiempo, precisamente por ese mismo motivo,” she explained, noting that she does not share his newfound religious conviction. This public confirmation aligns with reports that the couple is currently moving through formal legal channels to finalize their divorce.
Alves has maintained a public presence on social media, though he has avoided addressing the separation directly. Instead, he has utilized his platforms to share biblical passages and reflections on his spiritual journey. A recent post featured a photograph taken inside an aircraft, emphasizing his commitment to seeking faith “with all the heart,” while pointedly omitting any reference to his domestic status.
The couple’s history has been heavily defined by external pressure. They first met in 2015 and married in a private ceremony in Formentera in July 2017. Their relationship faced its most severe test in January 2023, when Alves was placed in provisional detention following allegations of sexual assault regarding an incident at a Barcelona nightclub on December 30, 2022.
During the ensuing legal process, the relationship experienced a public fracture. In March 2023, Sanz utilized a handwritten letter shared on Instagram to announce her intention to separate. However, she later rescinded that decision, choosing to support the former footballer throughout his trial. Following his conviction in February 2024 and subsequent release on a one-million-euro bail, the couple reconciled.
The legal landscape shifted dramatically in March 2025, when the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Catalunya overturned the previous conviction and acquitted the former athlete. After years of difficulty—including two rounds of in vitro fertilization, three gestational losses, and a diagnosis of endometriosis—the couple welcomed their daughter, Julieta, on October 7, 2025, in Barcelona.
The current developments mark a definitive conclusion to a decade-long partnership that has spanned professional peaks and severe personal crises.
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