Roberto Carlos Reportedly Converts to Islam

Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos has reportedly converted to Islam, according to reports originating in Turkey and linked to a prominent member of Brazil’s Muslim community. However, the former Real Madrid and Brazil defender has not publicly confirmed the claim himself, leaving the report officially unverified.

The story gained attention after Turkish media reported that the 53-year-old former footballer had allegedly embraced Islam around four weeks ago. According to the reports, Carlos recited the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, during a meeting with Sheikh Jihad Hamada, a well-known figure in Brazil’s Muslim community.

The claim about the conversion

The account says Carlos had been in contact with Sheikh Hamada for some time before visiting him in Brazil approximately four weeks ago. During that meeting, the former Real Madrid star is reported to have recited the Shahada and chosen Islam.

The reports describe the conversion as a personal decision by Roberto Carlos, but no direct statement from the former player has yet confirmed it.

The claim was initially circulated by Turkish publications, including Haberler, and was subsequently reported by other outlets. Daily Sabah also reported the allegation, citing comments attributed to Turkish MP Ali Şahin.

The distinction between a reported claim and an officially confirmed event remains important. Neither the reports cited nor the available material includes a direct public announcement from Roberto Carlos confirming that he has converted.

What Ali Şahin said

The story received additional attention after Ali Şahin, a Turkish member of parliament from the Justice and Development Party, discussed a meeting with representatives of Brazil’s Muslim community.

According to the account reported by Turkish and international media, Şahin said he had met Sheikh Jihad Hamada during a visit to the Brazilian Charitable Union of Muslim Youth in São Paulo. He described Hamada as one of the influential figures in Brazil’s Muslim community.

Şahin said Hamada had told him that Roberto Carlos, whom he described as a legend of Brazilian and world football and a former Fenerbahce player, had maintained contact with him for a long time before visiting him four weeks earlier.

According to that account, Carlos then recited the Shahada and chose Islam. Şahin congratulated the former footballer and wished him and his family a life filled with peace, health and blessing.

The reported chain of information is therefore relatively specific: the claim came from Sheikh Hamada, was relayed publicly by Şahin, and was then reported by Turkish and international media. Nevertheless, it remains indirect confirmation rather than a statement from Carlos.

Marriage to Souhaila El Tahiri

The conversion reports have also appeared alongside renewed attention to Roberto Carlos’s marriage to Moroccan-Spanish football agent Souhaila El Tahiri.

Photographs from the couple’s wedding celebrations circulated on social media again on August 17, 2026. Reports say, however, that the marriage itself was not a new event. Information about the relationship had emerged earlier in the year, and the couple reportedly held a limited ceremony on July 25 attended by family members and close friends.

El Tahiri is described in the reports as a FIFA-licensed players’ agent who works in managing professional football careers and football-related projects. The reports say the relationship between the two initially developed through professional work before becoming personal.

The marriage has consequently become part of the wider public discussion surrounding Carlos’s personal life, but it does not independently establish whether he converted to Islam.

Confirmation remains the missing piece

Roberto Carlos remains one of football’s most recognizable former defenders, having built his reputation with Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team before also playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey.

The current story is therefore best described as a reported conversion rather than a confirmed one. Multiple reports have repeated the allegation, and the claim has been attributed to Sheikh Hamada through Ali Şahin. Yet there has been no direct public statement from Roberto Carlos confirming the conversion.

Until the former Brazil international addresses the matter himself, the precise status of the claim remains unresolved. The reports may eventually be confirmed by Carlos or through an official statement, but for now, the available evidence supports only the description that he has been reported to have embraced Islam.