Married to a Moroccan Woman, Roberto Carlos Denies Converting to Islam

“The rumors circulating about my conversion to Islam are not true,” the Brazilian world champion said in an interview with Okaz published on Wednesday, August 19.

On Bladi.net : Images of Roberto Carlos’s wedding to a Moroccan-born businesswoman go viral

Roberto Carlos nevertheless says he has “the greatest respect” for Islam. He also says that he appreciates seeing his wife practice her religion and pray.

The denial comes after the widespread circulation in recent days of information claiming that the former Real Madrid defender had recited the shahada several weeks before his marriage.

This version was notably repeated by Turkish deputy Ali Şahin. He claimed to have received the information from Jihad Hammadeh, a prominent figure in Brazil’s Muslim community, who allegedly told him that he had received Roberto Carlos in São Paulo approximately four weeks earlier.

Why his marriage fueled the rumor

Images from Roberto Carlos and Souhaila Tahiri’s wedding had helped fuel speculation. Some of them showed a ceremony organized according to a Muslim rite.

The Brazilian now gives another explanation. According to him, the couple organized several ceremonies in order to respect the beliefs of the various people present: part of his family is Catholic, while his wife and several of their friends are Muslim.

Roberto Carlos also told Okaz that he met Souhaila Tahiri at a professional meeting devoted to football. He describes his Moroccan wife as a successful businesswoman and explains that their relationship, both personal and professional, has lasted about two years.

At 53, the former Brazilian international remains one of the best-known players in the history of Real Madrid. His marriage to Souhaila Tahiri had circulated widely on social media before the rumor of his conversion to Islam, in turn, took on an international dimension.