Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos refutes claims he converted to Islam

Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos, a World Cup winner known for his fearsome free-kicks, has not converted to Islam, contrary to social media posts claiming he had switched religions. Both Carlos and his wife Souhail Al-Tahiri have refuted the claim in separate interviews since the rumours swirled.

"Brazil's Roberto Carlos is viewed as the greatest defender of all time. He has now converted to Islam," says a Bengali-language Facebook post shared on August 19, 2026.

An attached photo shows the retired World Cup winner sitting next to a woman who has her head covered with a shawl and a man who appears to be a Muslim preacher. They seem to all be looking at papers on a table in front of them.

Bengali-language text beneath the photo says, "Turkish media claims that Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos accepted Islam".

The claim gained traction after a Turkish lawmaker posted on X that Carlos, who spent two years with Turkish side Fenerbahce in the later stages of his career, had "embraced Islam" and was picked up by Turkish media (archived here and here).

In the X post, lawmaker Ali Sahin said Sheikh Jihad Hammadeh, a prominent Sao Paulo-based Islamic leader, told him during a visit to Brazil that Carlos had "recited the Shahada (declaration of faith) and embraced Islam". He also offered his congratulations and wished Carlos and his family "a life full of peace, health, and blessings".

The same claim spread elsewhere on Facebook in Bengali and also in Spanish-language posts.

"Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) and congratulations," reads a comment on one of the posts, while another says: "You have taken the right decision."

But Carlos, who earned 125 caps for Brazil and won the World Cup in 2002, has not converted to Islam.

'Untrue' speculation

A keyword search on Google led to multiple reports saying Carlos, who was known for his blistering free-kicks, had refuted the claims.

Carlos said in an interview with Saudi Medai Okaz on August 19, "I have the utmost respect for Islam, and it is wonderful to see my wife praying, but the rumours circulating about my conversion to Islam are untrue" ( archived link).

A report published by Gulf News on August 20 also included a screenshot of a statement Carlos posted in an Instagram story on the same day ( archived link).

"I would like to clarify, following recent media speculation, that I have not converted to Islam," says his August 20 Instagram story. "I have the utmost respect for the Muslim community, as I do for people of all religions and beliefs. Faith is deeply personal, and I believe that every individual's beliefs should be treated with respect."

"Given the recent speculation, I felt it was important to clarify this personally and respectfully."

AFP reached out to Carlos's management company for comment but did not receive a response by time of publication.

Further keyword searches found the rumour was also refuted by Carlos's wife, Souhaila Al-Tahiri, a football agent of Moroccan descent.

In an interview with Moroccan sports outlet Hesport, reproduced by football news website Goal.com on August 21, she said her husband had not converted to Islam (archived here and here).

"I believe religious matters are sensitive, and therefore it is essential not to publish information without verifying it, and to respect everyone's convictions and privacy," she was quoted as saying.

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