Is Ilkay Gundogan Muslim? Learn about the German footballer’s religion, family, wife, and more.

Gundogan plays midfielder for the German national team (#21) and Premier League club Manchester City (#8). He is also the captain of the latter.

At the international level, he has been a part of the senior German side since 2011, earning 63 caps and scoring 16 goals.

Gundogan, who came through VfL Bochum’s youth academy, played for clubs including Schalke 04, 1. FC Nürnberg, and Borussia Dortmund, before joining City in 2016.

He is considered one of the integral parts of both club and country and is one of the key players for the German team in the ongoing World Cup Campaign.

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Is Ilkay Gundogan Muslim? His Religion Explored

Yes, the German footballer Ilkay Gundogan is Muslim.

Gundogan is proud to provide encouragement and inspiration for migrants and Muslims. “My background gives me this responsibility,” he said.

Being a Turkish-descent player of the Muslim faith, he believes he has integrated very well and tries to become a role model for many people who look up to him.

“So many people, not just Turkish people, but the Muslim community in Germany, I am one of those personalities to try to help,” he said.

Gundogan joins the ranks of other Muslim German footballers like Antonio Rudiger, Leroy Sane, Mesut Ozil, Emre Can, and others.

Learn About Ilkay Gundogan Family And Ethnicity

İlkay Gündoğan was born in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, to his Turkish parents, Irfan Gundogan and Ayten Gundogan. Hence, he is of German-Turkish ethnicity.

In 1979, Gündoğan’s Father, Irfan, & his siblings moved to Germany for family reunification. He started to work and settle there in the country.

Ilkay has a brother named Ilker Gundogan. The two Gundogan brothers are highly supportive of each other.

Their cousin, Naz Aydemir, is a professional volleyball player for the Turkish women’s national team and Fenerbahçe club.

In May 2018, Gündoğan and other German players of Turkish descent, Mesut Ozil and Cenk Tosun, met the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in London.

He became a subject of criticism after referring to Erdogan as “my president,” despite being a citizen of Germany. The incident caused controversy, and Gündoğan was mocked by German fans when he played for the national team weeks later.

Another controversy almost occurred when in October 2019, Gundogan ‘liked’ an Instagram post of Tosun where he celebrated a goal and stated support for soldiers involved in the Turkish offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria.

He removed his ‘like’ by commenting, “Believe me, after what happened last year, the last thing I wanted was to make a political statement.” He added that he was pleased for his former Germany U21 teammate [Tosun] for his winning goal.

Meet Ilkay Gundogan Wife, Sara Afraoui

Gundogan recently married his girlfriend, Sara Arfaoui. The two reportedly started dating in early 2021 and decided to tie the knot in May 2022.

Sara is a French-born Italian model and Actress. The stunning lady was born in Nice, France, but her family moved to Italy when she was a child. Since then, she has stayed in Italy and obtained Italian citizenship.

Born in 1995, she is 28 and around five years younger than her hubby.

The German footballer is very secretive about his love life and does not share much information online or in the media.

Their relationship was a secret until a picture of the duo surfaced on Sara’s Instagram account.

Gundogan was previously in a relationship with ex-girlfriend Sila Sahin. Their breakup came as a shock to his fans.

Nevertheless, we are glad that the footballer has moved on and initiated a new chapter of his life with Sara.

Furthermore, the lovely couple recently announced in an Instagram post that they expect a child soon.

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