Rihanna dating soccer star Karim Benzema?

Los Angeles: R&B star Rihanna has sparked dating rumours after she was spotted having an early morning breakfast date with French soccer ace Karim Benzema.

The celebrities enjoyed breakfast at 24-hour diner Coppelia at 5am local time, shortly after the "Diamonds" hitmaker finished partying at nearby nightclub Griffin, but they avoided being photographed together by leaving separately, reported E!Online.

Rihanna, 37, previously struck up a friendship with the Real Madrid striker over Twitter during the World Cup last year (14), when she sent her condolences to Benzema after France lost to Germany in the quarter finals, writing, "@Benzema I feel your pain right now!".

To which he had replied, ""@rihanna No pain no gain, thanks for the support!". If Rihanna is dating Benzema, he won't be the first sportsman she has been linked to. She previously dated Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Matt Kemp in 2010, following her split from Chris Brown.