Dutch football star Clarence Seedorf has embraced Islam. He made this announcement via Instagram on Friday.
The 45-year-old expressed a “special thanks” to everyone who sent “nice messages in celebration of me joining the Muslim family” on social media.
Seedorf, considered one of the most successful players in UEFA Champions League history, shared his gratitude towards his wife Sophia Makramati for teaching him “in depth the meaning of Islam,” Arab News reported.
“I’m very happy and pleased to join all Brothers and Sisters around the world,” wrote Seedorf.
Seedorf is the only player in football history to have won the UEFA Champions League four times with three different clubs (Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan).
Sharing the news with his 32,000 fans, he said he didn’t change his name and “will continue to carry my name as given by my parents, Clarence Seedorf! I’m sending all my love to everyone in the world.”
Here is a list of some famous players who are now Muslim converts:
- Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)
- Franck Ribery (France)
- Eric Abidal (France)
- Nicolas Anelka (France)
- Danny Blum (Germany)
- Emeka Ezeugo (Nigeria)
- Thierry Daniel Henry (France)
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, with the number of Muslims set to grow at more than twice the rate of the overall world population between 2015 and 2060 according to research by the Pew Research Center.
In 2021, American former professional basketball player Stephen Jackson converted to Islam. Also in November 2020, Dutch boxer Ruby Jesiah Mesu announced converting to Islam on her official social media account, after practicing the faith for years.
In April 2020, Wilhelm Ott announced that he had converted to Islam. Ott is a professional MMA (Mix Martial Arts) fighter from Austria.