Riyad Mahrez was in the news a few weeks ago when news broke about his transfer to Saudi Club Al Ahli. Reaching the twilight of his career, Mahrez has won everything at Manchester City and decided to move to Al Ahli to join the likes of Roberto Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Frank Kessie, Edouard Mendy, etc.
Mahrez headlines yet again as the former City winger has married Taylor Ward for the second time, but in a more elegant and posh manner. It was reported that the couple exchanged vows and had a lavish dinner at the five-star London hotel. It was more of a private event, as only close friends and family were invited.
Congratulations to Riyad Mahrez and his partner, Taylor Ward, who got married. 👏🏽💍🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/Gq1WtFpCb1
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 6, 2023
They are about to have another wedding abroad, which is going to be even bigger. Their “first wedding” took place last January which was a Muslim ceremony known as the Nikah, which meant they could legally marry under Islamic law.
During their recent wedding, Taylor was seen wearing a beautiful white dress, while Mahrez was wearing a dashing black tuxedo. They were joined by Inaya and Ayla, Mahrez’s daughters from his previous marriage, and their one-year-old baby Mila. The photos posted online on social media have gotten love from fans and players alike.
How did the two lovebirds Riyad Mahrez and Taylor Ward meet?
Taylor and Mahrez have been dating since 2020, and in October of that year, they went officially public when Taylor posted a picture of herself along with the soccer star with the caption “Me and You”. She gained even more followers after she started to date the former Manchester City player.
Mahrez eventually popped the question in June of 2021 with a custom-made $500,000 wedding ring when they were on a trip to the Greek island of Mykonos. The couple shares a $2.14 million house they bought together
Riyad and Taylor are engaged!
Man City’s Riyad Mahrez proposes to Taylor Ward with huge £400k ring on Mykonos holiday
the couple were dating in February 2020 pic.twitter.com/M0C1J7ojdh
— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) June 22, 2021
Taylor is an Instagram model and a part-time DJ. She is the daughter of celebrities Dawn Ward, Real Housewives of Cheshire star, designer, and ex-soccer player Ashely Ward. Taylor and Mahrez have a 14-month-old daughter named Mila, who attended their recent wedding.
Taylor is not new to dating soccer players, as she was previously in a relationship with former Everton defender Mason Holgate. In 2019, she also reportedly dated one of Mahrez’s former teammates at City, Sergio Aguero.
Why did Riyad Mahrez leave his ex-wife Rita Johal?
Before tying the knot with Taylor, Mahrez was married to British model and influencer Rita Johal. The pair first met in 2012 on London’s Oxford Street. They dated for a few years before getting married in 2015. Mahrez has many times admitted that Rita taught her English and helped her settle down in England. The
They share custody of their two daughters, Inaya and Ayla. After several rumors of their divorce in 2019, the couple eventually started living separately before breaking the marriage off in 2020.
Many reasons surfaced online, one of which was that Rita was flirting with American boxer Deontay Wilder at a club in Manchester, which devastated the soccer player.
But Rita has, on several occasions, blamed Manchester City as the main reason why their marriage did not work out. She claimed that Mahrez struggled at times with the pressure of playing for a team that big.
Rita Johal, Riyad Mahrez’s Ex-Wife Says Man City ‘Ruined’ Their Marriage https://t.co/jRE4Sp9JZu
— Nwanyi Mbano (@AdaMbano_) August 30, 2021
Rita also said that Mahrez let the fame get to his head and was a changed man after the move. She even said Katie Goodland (Harry Kane’s wife) had a lucky escape after the transfer of Kane from Tottenham Hotspurs fell through in 2021. Following their split, Rita was seen dating boxer Anthony Joshua.
