A photo of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo seated on a stage in front of a burqa-clad woman – in the presence of a large audience – is being shared on social media platforms.
The claim: The photo is being shared with the claim that when a woman in Saudi Arabia asked him about what he loves the most, he replied saying that he loves Islam.
It comes against the backdrop of Ronaldo joining Riyadh-based Saudi Arabian football Club Al Nassr FC.
(Archives of more such posts on social media can be seen here and here.)
But...: We found no such statement made by the footballer.
The photo used in the post dates back to 28 January 2022, when Ronaldo attended the Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He did not make any such statement at the event either.
How did we find out?: First, we did a keyword search to look for reports of the footballer making any such statement, but we didn't find any.
Next, a reverse image search: This led us to a report dated 28 January 2022 by Dubai-based news portal, Khaleej Times, which carried a photo similar to that in the claim.
It mentioned that it showed Ronaldo at the Expo 2020 Dubai in UAE, which was held from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
The article mentioned that Ronaldo spoke about fitness, his advice for the young generation and his love for Dubai at the event, which was held at Al Wasl Plaza.
Ronaldo's interaction at Expo 2020 Dubai: Taking a cue from this, we looked for a video of the interaction and found it on the Expo 2020 Dubai's website.
The video showed Ronaldo being interviewed by Marjan Faraidooni, the expo's Chief Experience Officer.
In the full video of the event, Ronaldo is heard talking about his children, his love for Dubai, what advice he has for new parents and the future generations, while emphasising on the importance of taking care of ones fitness and health.
But, he made no statement about loving Islam.
Conclusion: We found no proof that Ronaldo spoke about loving Islam the most.
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