Cristiano Ronaldo wants to convert to Islam, claims former Al-Nasr goalkeeper

Former Saudi football franchise Al-Nasr goalkeeper Walid Abdullah has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to convert to Islam.

News about Ronaldo's interest in converting to Islam is often circulating on social media. Now, Walid Abdullah has claimed in an interview that Cristiano Ronaldo really wants to convert to Islam.

"I once spoke to Cristiano Ronaldo about converting to Islam, and he expressed interest. He has even prostrated himself on the field after scoring a goal and always encourages Muslim players to pray and follow other Islamic teachings. As soon as the call to prayer is heard during a training session, Cristiano asks to stop the training session out of respect for the call to prayer," he said 

Waleed stated that he was close to Ronaldo in the beginning because he was not familiar with the culture, club or other aspects of the country. "So he often asked me for details. Whether he converts to Islam or not, he has reached this point because of the humility and discipline in his personality. Everyone who meets Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia admires him."

In January last year, Al-Nasr signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Ronaldo for $213 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo shares his retirement plans

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement plans.

Portugal booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League with a 5-1 win over Poland on Friday. Ronaldo secured his 132nd international win by surpassing former Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, who had 131 wins for Spain.

The 39-year-old spoke about his retirement plans while addressing the media after the match.

"I just want to enjoy," he said, adding that his retirement could be in "a year or two." He continued, "I don't know; I'm going to be 40 soon."

"As long as I enjoy it with passion, I will continue playing. The day I realise that I no longer had the passion, I would retire," he said.

Ronaldo also revealed that he has “no plans to go into the coaching field” and that he may consider other matters after retirement.

“I do not see myself becoming a manager of any team, it is not in my plans; my future is in other fields outside of football. Time will tell what happens."

Earlier, in an interview in August, Ronaldo indicated that he was considering retiring early despite his contract with the Saudi club Al-Nasr expiring after this season.

He recently also became the first man to score 900 goals in official matches and is also a five-time Ballon d'Or winner.