When Cardi B and Nigerian Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye were photographed together at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, most people dismissed it as a coincidence- two prominent people at the same high- profile event. However, this explanation has become less convincing.
According to TMZ, Cardi B and Okoye were seen together again, this time at Gio’ s restaurant inside the St. Regis Hotel in Venice, Italy, seated side by side over dinner overlooking a canal. Cardi arrived in a plunging turquoise dress and was photographed chatting with her companions, showcasing her signature long nails. Okoye sat beside her, smiling. An observer from above the hotel saw the two during a fireworks display, suggesting they were part of a group of friends gathered around the table.
No public display of affection was reported. Witnesses present described them as relaxed and comfortable in each other’ s company. 
How It Started
The Paris sighting came first. At the Jean Paul Gaultier Autumn/Winter Haute Couture show earlier in July, Okoye and Cardi were seated next to each other in the front row. A TikTok video showed him helping her into her seat- a small, attentive gesture that quickly sparked online speculation about a romantic connection.
Initially, it was easy to see this as coincidental; fashion week draws a diverse mix of celebrities and athletes, and sharing a seat at a show does not necessarily imply anything more.
Venice changes the story. Two sightings in different cities within weeks suggest these encounters are not just coincidence.
SEE ALSO: New Man Alert? Cardi B Seen Blushing Next to Maduka Okoye in Paris
Cardi B History
Cardi B was previously married to rapper Offset, with whom she shares three children: Kulture, Wave, and Blossom. She filed for divorce from him in July 2024 after years of an on-and-off relationship marked by allegations of infidelity.
Her next public relationship was with NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots. The two were first linked in October 2024, confirmed their relationship in June 2025, and welcomed a baby boy together in November 2025; her fourth child and Diggs’ second.
However, the relationship did not last. Sources confirmed the pair split in February 2026, reportedly a few days before Diggs played in Super Bowl LX. A source told People at the time that the relationship had been “always so up and down.” Cardi was said to have “pulled away from the drama” after feeling she could not fully trust him. Reports surfaced in May 2026 suggesting Diggs was trying to make things work, but as of the time of this publication, neither party has confirmed a reconciliation.
It is against that backdrop that the Okoye sightings have landed: a woman who has been publicly navigating her personal life, now photographed twice in a month with a 6-foot-6 Nigerian goalkeeper who appears to have been invited into her social circle.
SEE ALSO: Maduka Okoye Says ‘Oya’ is an Igbo Word
Where Things Stand
Neither Cardi B nor Maduka Okoye has commented on the rumours. Representatives from both sides have not confirmed or denied a relationship. What is clear is that they have now been seen socially together in two European cities within the same month (Paris and Venice), and both occasions were relaxed, social settings rather than professional.
Whether this signals friendship, something more, or something in between, only they can say. But with each new sighting, dismissing the rumours becomes more difficult.
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