Former Al-Nassr goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah made revelations, hinting at star Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential conversion to Islam.
Speaking at a TV show, Abdullah confirmed long-going rumours about Ronaldo’s openness to convert to Islam, citing his respect of the religion’s practices and adaptation to Saudi Arabia’s culture.
"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 Abdullah.
The former Saudi international also revealed that the star footballer also asks the coach to pause the training session as soon as the call to prayers start, in a bid to let his teammates pray during the practice.
“When the call to prayer sounds during training, Ronaldo asks the coach to pause the session until it's finished," Abdullah shared.
"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," he added.
Waleed Abdullah shared further insights of the incident when Cristiano Ronaldo prostrated on the field after scoring for Al-Nassr in May last year, a move that quickly made headlines.
"When Ronaldo prostrated on the field after scoring, all the players shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ in unison."
The former goalkeeper, however, insisted that regardless of his conversion, Ronaldo’s humility, his discipline and commitment as a player, brought him to this stage.
"He is an extremely disciplined and dedicated player, and it’s this discipline that has brought him to this position," he said.
“Anyone who comes to Saudi Arabia appreciates him and feels comfortable with him," he added.
