Football Star Roberto Carlos Converts to Islam
- Roberto Carlos is said to have recited the Shahada during a private meeting with Sheikh Jihad Hamada in Brazil
- Turkish MP Ali Sahin shared the claim on X after visiting the Brazilian Charitable Union of Muslim Youth
- Roberto Carlos has not personally addressed the reports
Roberto Carlos, the former Real Madrid and Brazil defender, is said to have converted to Islam, according to claims spreading across Turkish and Brazilian media.
Foreign media outlets say the 53-year-old recited the Shahada around four weeks ago during a meeting with Sheikh Jihad Hamada, a religious figure within Brazil’s Muslim community.
The reports say Roberto Carlos had been in contact with Sheikh Hamada for some time before travelling to see him in Brazil, where he is said to have recited the Shahada and declared his return to Islam.
Ali Sahin’s Post
The claims grew after a post from Ali Sahin, a Turkish MP for the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Sahin wrote on X that he had met Sheikh Hamada, who lives in Sao Paulo, during a visit to the Brazilian Charitable Union of Muslim Youth.
He described Hamada, vice president and religious adviser of the National Association of Islamic Jurists (ANAJI), as one of the 500 most influential figures in the Muslim world.
Sahin said Hamada told him that Roberto Carlos, whom he called one of the legends of Brazilian and world football and a former Fenerbahce player, had been in contact with him for a long time before visiting him four weeks ago to recite the Shahada and choose Islam. Sahin offered his congratulations to Roberto Carlos, wishing him and his family “a life full of peace, health and blessing.”
Roberto Carlos is ranked among the most accomplished defenders in football history. He built his reputation with Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team before a spell in Turkey with Fenerbahce, and his name remains widely recognised among fans around the world.
