Who is Mikel Arteta married to? This is the Arsenal head coach’s Miss Spain wife Lorena Bernal

Soccer fans may be familiar with Lorena Bernal, the wife of Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, who appeared alongside her husband in the Amazon docuseries “All or Nothing: Arsenal.”

Bernal, however, was already a well-known face in other circles long before joining Arteta onscreen.

From Argentina to Spain, and an early start in modeling

Born in Argentina, Bernal moved to San Sebastián in Spain, where Arteta was born, at the age of 9. The pair met in a nightclub in the Basque city, by which point she had already taken her first steps in the world of modeling and acting.

Having taken on her first modeling job in Argentina when she was 7, Bernal won the Miss Spain beauty pageant in 1999. Normally, that would have seen her take part in Miss Universe, but the fact she was just 17, and the pageant’s minimum age is 18, meant she had to give up her place.

Bernal did, however, compete in Miss World, whose lower age limit is 17, making it into the final 10.

Acting roles and TV appearances

Her modeling career has seen her star in commercials for Pepe Jeans London, Nivea and Oral-B.

In addition, Bernal also has acting and television presenting experience, first appearing on screen in the Spanish comedy film “Menos es más” in 2000, which also starred Elsa Pataky.

The 44-year-old was a regular cast member in Spanish soap operas “El secreto” and “Luna negra” in the early 2000s, and has appeared in episodes of American shows “Chuck,” “CSI: Miami” and “The Good Doctor.”

Family life with Mikel Arteta

Bernal and Arteta married in 2010, the year after their first son, Gabriel, was born. The couple have two younger sons, Daniel, born in 2012, and Oliver, born in 2015.

“My happiest moments are when my family are all together, eating together and just enjoying the moment. When Mikel and I look at our kids, or we hear them in the background playing together, we’ll look at each other like: ‘That is happiness,’” Bernal told Hello! in a 2025 interview.

“We feel we’ve done a good job and they’re happy and healthy. That’s the happiest moment for me.”

Although the four men in her life are soccer fanatics, Bernal very much isn’t.

“I don’t dislike football, but I don’t particularly like it.”

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