Brazilian soccer legend Roberto Carlos has denied widespread stories that he transformed to Islam, saying he has the “utmost respect” for the faith however that claims he embraced it following his marriage to Moroccan soccer agent Souhaila El Tahiri are unfaithful.
The 53-year-old former Actual Madrid and Brazil star addressed the rumors in feedback to Saudi newspaper Okaz after the claims unfold quickly throughout social media and information retailers in a number of international locations.
The hypothesis gained momentum after images from Carlos’ wedding ceremony circulated on-line, with some posts portraying the ceremony as proof that he had transformed to Islam.
Different broadly shared photos had been offered as exhibiting Carlos carrying Islamic apparel, though a fact-check by Lebanon’s Annahar discovered that one such picture was AI-generated.
How the conversion declare unfold
The rumors emerged earlier this week after Turkish media reported that Carlos had allegedly embraced Islam and recited the shahada, the Islamic declaration of religion, throughout a gathering with Sheikh Jihad Hammadeh in Sao Paulo.
The declare was amplified by Turkish lawmaker Ali Şahin, who stated on Monday that he had met Hammadeh throughout a go to to representatives of Brazil’s Muslim neighborhood.
In line with Şahin, the sheikh advised him that Carlos had been in touch with him for a while, had visited him about 4 weeks earlier and had recited the shahada earlier than embracing Islam. Şahin then publicly congratulated Carlos.
The allegation rapidly moved past Turkish-language media, spreading by means of Arabic, English and different language communities.
Social media posts typically eliminated the unique attribution or offered the declare as established truth, making it troublesome for readers to differentiate between a reported allegation and a confirmed assertion from Carlos.
The story additionally gained traction due to Carlos’ long-standing connection to Turkish soccer.
The previous left again performed for Fenerbahçe after becoming a member of the Istanbul membership in 2007 and later had teaching roles in Türkiye, together with with Sivasspor and Akhisar Belediyespor.
Marriage ceremony photos gasoline hypothesis
The timing of the rumors was carefully linked to Carlos’ marriage to El Tahiri, a Moroccan soccer agent and businesswoman.
Information of their relationship and marriage had already emerged earlier in 2026, whereas images from a personal wedding ceremony celebration later circulated broadly on-line.
The ceremony included parts related to Islamic and Moroccan traditions, together with the presence of a Muslim non secular determine and conventional apparel.
These photos had been rapidly interpreted by some social media customers as proof that Carlos had transformed.
However the images didn’t set up a change in Carlos’ faith. A fact-check printed by Annahar discovered no dependable proof supporting claims hooked up to a picture that allegedly confirmed Carlos in Islamic clothes and decided that the picture had been generated utilizing synthetic intelligence.
The presence of an Islamic ceremony additionally didn’t, by itself, set up that Carlos had transformed. Stories stated the couple included completely different traditions into their wedding ceremony to accommodate the non secular backgrounds of their households and company.
Carlos straight rejects the claims
Carlos has now straight addressed the hypothesis.
“I’ve the utmost respect for Islam and it’s great to see my spouse praying, however the rumors circulating about me changing to Islam are unfaithful,” Carlos stated, in response to Okaz and stories from Saudi Gazette and different retailers.
He additionally defined that the marriage celebrations had been organized in several kinds to respect the beliefs of each households.
Carlos stated his Catholic relations had been accommodated by means of ceremonies per their beliefs, whereas ceremonies applicable for his spouse and her Muslim mates and kinfolk had been additionally held.
His clarification straight challenges the interpretation that the Islamic parts of the marriage represented his personal conversion.
Carlos additional indicated that he respects completely different religions and has been studying about different faiths, whereas making clear that he had not transformed to Islam.
He additionally prompt that if he ever made such a choice, he would announce it himself.
