A growing speculation that football icon, Cristiano Ronaldo may switch faith to Islam has been further fuelled by Waleed Abdullah, the former goalkeeper of his Saudi Arabia club, Al-Nassr.

According to Morocco World News, Abdullah remarked during a programme, Al-Hissa Al-Akhira, that Ronaldo is open to conversion to Islam.

The former Al -Nassr goalkeeper cited Ronaldo’s clear integration and adaptation to Saudi Arabian culture to back the claim.

“Ronaldo genuinely wants to convert to Islam. I spoke to him about it, and he expressed interest. He has already prostrated on the field after scoring, and he always encourages the players to pray and follow Islamic religious practices,” said the former Saudi international.

Abdullah went on to explain that Ronaldo has taken a deep interest in local culture, especially Islam and its practices, in order to better respect and understand his Muslim teammates.

Demonstrating a great deal of kindness toward them, the Portuguese star has ensured that his teammates have time to pray between training sessions.

Abdullah shared more insights into Cristiano Ronaldo’s growing interest in Islam, revealing how the superstar has shown respect for Islamic practices since his arrival in Saudi Arabia.

“When the call to prayer sounds during training, Ronaldo asks the coach to pause the session until it’s finished,” Abdullah explained.

“In the beginning, I was close to Cristiano because he wasn’t familiar with the country’s culture, the club, or other aspects. He was curious and often asked me questions about certain details.”

According to Abdullah, Ronaldo has always been interested in converting to Islam. Before his move to Al-Nassr in the winter of 2023, reports suggested that his former Real Madrid teammates, Mesut Özil and Karim Benzema, had tried to convince him to become a Muslim. 

The former Al-Nassr goalkeeper  pointed out a particularly telling moment: “When Ronaldo prostrated on the field after scoring, all the players shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ in unison.”

However, Abdullah added to Al-Hissa Al-Akhira that regardless of whether Ronaldo decides to embrace Islam, his discipline and commitment as a player are unquestionable.

“He is an extremely disciplined and dedicated player, and it’s this discipline that has brought him to this position,” he said.

Abdullah also spoke about Ronaldo’s humility, noting that both he and his son behave with simplicity and warmth toward others. 

“Anyone who comes to Saudi Arabia appreciates him and feels comfortable with him,” he added.

Barcelona jersey

Lionel Messi has shared a video of his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, and their children riding a bike.

One of them, the nine-year-old Mateo can be seen wearing Lamine Yamal’s Barcelona shirt!

Last year already, Messi suggested Lamine Yamal would play a ‘prominent’ role at Barcelona, also predicting the teenager to win the Ballon d’Or one day.

As for Mateo Messi, the kid currently plays in Inter Miami’s academy. His older brother, Thiago, said in June he’d like to play alongside Lamine Yamal in the future

-Tribuna

ADWAIDH RAJAN, BBC

He’s better known as a Premier League and international footballer, but Alex Iwobi wants his music – as well as his on-pitch exploits – to inspire young people.

After starting his rap career earlier this year, the Fulham and Nigeria midfielder has released his second single, titled What’s Luv?.

Iwobi’s debut offering was Don’t Shoot in June, which has been streamed almost 60,000 times on Spotify.

The 28-year-old, who goes by the name ’17’, collaborated with his former Arsenal team-mate Chuba Akpom (performing as Skoli) and former England youth international Medy Elito (Don-EE) for his first release.

Iwobi’s debut song was aimed at deterring youngsters from street violence, while his latest release is a “celebration of his African roots”.

“Growing up in an area of London that is challenging for some people, I know how hard it can be and I’m grateful to have a platform to try and make a difference,” Iwobi said.

“I hope that my music is another way of proving that young people do not have to feel they have to fit in just one box. I want them to be encouraged to achieve their dreams, to put their focus into positive things.”

Iwobi has started all nine Premier League matches for Marco Silva’s Fulham this season and scored his second goal of the campaign in a 1-1 draw against his old club Everton last week.

“Creating music doesn’t take anything away from my football, it helps me switch off. I will always work hard and try to improve in my sport, but this is a good use of my spare time,” he said.

Footballer forays into music

Iwobi, however, is not the first footballer to go into music.

A reworked version of folk rock band Lindisfarne’s track Fog on the Tyne, with vocals by Paul Gascoigne, reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1990.

Former England striker Andy Cole’s cover of the Gap Bands’ song Outstanding peaked at number 68 while then Tottenham and Three Lions team-mates Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle released Diamond Lights, which reached number 12 in 1987.

Kevin Keegan’s 1979 song Head over Heels in Love made it to 31 in the charts.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is an accomplished drummer, while former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin invented his own musical instrument which he called the Dube.

A masked rapper named ‘Dide’ rose to fame last year, claiming to be a Premier League footballer.

-BBC