World Cup model fan revealed as a big game hunter

Axelle Despiegelaere pictured with an Oryx gazelle while on a hunting trip in Africa. Photo / Facebook

A Belgian World Cup fan who won a modelling contact with L'Oreal after being spotted cheering in the crowd has been revealed as a big fan of game hunting.

Axelle Despiegelaere, 17, caught the world's attention after being photographed cheering on her national team in the Group H match against Russia and her image spread across the internet.

But her public success may be short lived as now a photo has emerged of the teenager posing with a rifle and a dead animal in Africa.

"Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that," she said on her Facebook page reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

L'Oreal has not responded to the revelations, but it is keen to promote it's image of animal welfare - in 2012 the company donated $1.2million to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help improve the testing of safe chemicals.

In the photo which scored Axelle her contract she doned red, yellow and black face paint and a horned hat when she was spotted at the match in Brazil.

The pictures of happy Axelle quickly went viral and appeared in newspapers across the world, launching her new career.

After returning home to Belgium, Axelle set up a professional Facebook page which now has over 200,000 'likes'.

On Tuesday, she announced her decision to accept a contract modeling for L'Oreal and even posted a video of her trying out their hair products.

While Axelle may have come out a winner in this year's World Cup, her national team was not so lucky.

After escaping Group H, Belgium went on to beat the U.S. before being defeated by Argentina.

- Daily Mail