A video circulating online which claims that Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted Islam by reciting the Shahada in the presence of King Salman of Saudi Arabia.
The video was posted on YouTube by a user with the name: mizrab 7.
The nearly 6 minutes long video began with a Ronaldo look-alike man in a mosque who appears to be reading from the Holy Qur’an in the first 15 seconds. The rest of the video was a collage of images alongside a man’s voice heard in the background.
READ: Claim that DSTV added new channel due to Ronaldo’s transfer is FALSE
Part of the audio transcribed below reads:
No one would have expected that one of the greatest football players in history, Cristiano Ronaldo, would one day stand on the pulpit of a mosque, surrounded by an audience of worshippers, while reciting the Holy Quran in a calm and moving voice. It was a magical moment that transcended the boundaries of sports, becoming the talk of the entire world. How did Cristiano get to this place? What prompted him to embrace Islam? It was a story of spiritual transformation that exceeded all expectations, and opened the door to a journey full of challenges and the search for inner peace.
The video also had a caption thus:
Cristiano Ronaldo converted to Islam and the reason is shocking.
Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi Pro League club, Al Nassr, where he serves as the captain, has a legendary football career, after earning multiple international awards.
CLAIM
Cristiano Ronaldo embraces Islam, recites Quran.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
A Google reverse image search revealed that a previous version of the video had been posted by an X user @shiinetown on September 21, 2024.
The caption of the post read:
A keyword search conducted on the name “Bewar Abdullah” shows that he was spotlighted by the New York Post in 2022 where he mentioned that he had been receiving lots of attention due to his semblance to Ronaldo.
In statements to the New York Post, Bewar mentioned that people frequently approach him for photos and videos, often shouting “Ronaldo!” His likeness has drawn invitations to events, including children’s birthday parties, leading to considerable earnings.
Further checks revealed that the video circulating on YouTube is a collage which combined a Quranic recitation with various images. Notably, the images interwoven with the video appear to be animated and likely AI-generated, raising doubts about the video’s authenticity.
Also, for a non-Muslim to convert to Islam, the fundamental requirement is reciting the Shahada, a declaration of faith in Arabic, in the presence of witnesses. However, in the viral video, there is no clear evidence that it’s Ronaldo’s voice or gestures indicating that he performed the Shahada as prescribed.
THE VERDICT
The claim the Cristiano Ronaldo has embraced Islam and recited Quran in public is FALSE; the person in the video is Bewar Abdullah, a lookalike of Ronaldo.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
