Fact Check: Ronaldo converts to Islam? No, viral images are AI-generated
Several images of Cristiano Ronaldo and his wife in a white dress praying at Mecca have gone viral, claiming that the star footballer has embraced Islam.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 23 Dec 2024 11:40 AM GMT
Claim: Images show Cristiano Ronaldo and his wife offering prayers at the Masjid al-Haram Mosque in Mecca after the couple converted to Islam.
Fact: The claim is false. The viral images are AI-generated.
Hyderabad: In January 2023, footballer maestro Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr FC in the Saudi Pro League, signing a deal worth over ā¬200 million annually. He also serves as a cultural ambassador for Saudi Arabia, supporting Vision 2030 to enhance the countryās global image through sports and tourism.
In this context, several images of Ronaldo with his wife in a white dress praying at Mecca have been doing rounds on social media, claiming that the star footballer has embraced Islam.
An X user shared the image and wrote, āMashallah: The worldās most famous footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, adopted Islam and offered Namaaz with his wife in Haram Sharif...!ā (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the images are AI-generated.
The way Ronaldo is seen praying in the images raised suspicion that the images might be fake. Muslims around the world pray facing the Kaaba (a cube-shaped building), a sacred structure located in the Masjid al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. However, these images show the couple praying facing away from the Kaaba.
Upon closely examining the images, we noticed in one of the images that Ronaldo appeared to have six fingers on one hand, a common flaw in AI-generated imagery. Also, his face in one of the images seemed distorted.
Next, we ran the images through the AI detection tool True Media and found substantial evidence of Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the images.
Results varied while running the image through the Hive Moderation. However, it detected that one of the images likely contained 97.1 per cent AI-generated or deepfake content.
We also searched for reports of Ronaldo embracing Islam but found none.
Therefore, we conclude that the viral images are AI-generated and the claim of him embracing Islam is false.
