Antonio Rüdiger Religion

What religion is Antonio Rüdiger?

Antonio Rüdiger is a German professional football player who is a practicing Muslim. In March 2024, Rüdiger posted a photo of himself on a prayer mat wearing a white robe, with his index finger of his right hand pointing to the sky, with a greeting for Ramadan in the caption. Antonio Rüdiger is known for playing for Real Madrid as well as the German national team. Previously, he played for the clubs VfB Stuttgart, Roma, and Chelsea, where he won his first-ever UEFA Champions League after Chelsea beat Manchester City 1–0 in the final. Among his other achievements, Rüdiger has won 14 major trophies across his spells with Real Madrid, Chelsea, and the German national team.

Contracts, Salary & Career Earnings

During his time at VfB Stuttgart, Rüdiger earned approximately £6,000–£7,000 per week. His move to Roma in 2015 brought a significant increase, with his weekly earnings rising to around £10,000 per week in his first season, before doubling to approximately £44,000 per week following his permanent transfer in 2016. In July 2017, Chelsea signed Rüdiger for a transfer fee of £29 million on a five-year contract worth approximately $26 million in total, around £100,000 per week. Despite his importance under Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea were unable to meet his wage demands as his contract entered its final months. Reports indicated he had been seeking £225,000 per week to sign an extension, a figure Chelsea declined to match. This created an opportunity for Real Madrid, who signed him on a free transfer in July 2022. His four-year contract at Madrid runs until June 2026, with a base salary of €14.5 million per year, approximately €280,000 per week, plus up to €4.2 million annually in performance bonuses, making the total contract worth €74.8 million. His total career earnings across all clubs to date are estimated at approximately €110 million, making him one of the highest-earning defenders of his generation.

Early life

Antonio Rüdiger was born on March 3, 1993, in Berlin, Germany, to a Sierra Leonean mother, Lily, and a German father, Matthias. He began his youth career at Hertha Zehlendorf before joining Borussia Dortmund’s youth setup, later moving to VfB Stuttgart’s academy.

Club career

Rüdiger started playing street football, joining several local Berlin clubs as a child, including VfB Sperber Neukölln (2000–2002), SV Tasmania Berlin (2002–2005), Neuköllner Sportfreunde 1907 (2005–2006), Hertha Zehlendorf (2006–2008), and the Borussia Dortmund youth academy (2008–2011).

VfB Stuttgart

Rüdiger joined VfB Stuttgart’s academy in 2011 after coming through the youth setups of Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Zehlendorf. He made his Bundesliga debut for VfB Stuttgart’s first team in a home professional match against Borussia Mönchengladbach and went on to make 79 appearances across three seasons. After that, Rüdiger attracted interest from Serie A Roma.

Roma

In 2015, Rüdiger joined Serie A club Roma on loan before the move was made permanent for €9 million in 2016. He made 37 Serie A appearances in his first season and 35 in his second, scoring two goals across his time at the club.

Chelsea

In July 2017, Roma sold Rüdiger to Chelsea for £29 million. In his first season, he won the FA Cup, and in 2018–19, the UEFA Europa League. Despite a difficult period under Frank Lampard where he was left out of the squad entirely, he returned under Thomas Tuchel to become one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2020–21, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup before leaving on a free transfer at the end of his contract in 2022.

Real Madrid

Following a great season with Chelsea, Rüdiger joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in July 2022, winning the Copa del Rey in his debut season. In 2023–24, he won La Liga and a second UEFA Champions League title, becoming one of the few players to have won the trophy with two different clubs. He has since added the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and UEFA Super Cup to his honors. His contract at Real Madrid expires in June 2026, with his future at the club yet to be confirmed.

International career

Rüdiger made his senior Germany debut in May 2014 and has been a mainstay of the national side ever since. He won the FIFA Confederations Cup with Germany in 2017 in Russia. He represented Germany at UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup and was part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2024. He has earned over 82 senior caps for Germany and remains one of the first names on the teamsheet for the national side heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Rüdiger is married to Laura Rüdiger, and the couple has a son and daughter. Rüdiger was also named after Antonio Banderas, a Spanish actor. He is the youngest of several siblings and the half-brother of former footballer Sahr Senesie.

Philanthropy

In 2020, Rüdiger donated more than $100,000 to support Sierra Leone’s Free Quality Education initiative, a government program aimed at supporting over two million primary and secondary school children across the country. In 2022, he established the Antonio Rüdiger Foundation, personally traveling to Sierra Leone and donating £40,000 to kick off its funding. The foundation focuses on education, healthcare, and youth development in Sierra Leone and has held annual fundraising galas, including one in Washington D.C., to generate resources for the country’s youth.

Rüdiger also donated all his earnings from the 2022 FIFA World Cup to fund life-saving surgery for 11 children suffering from congenital clubfoot in Sierra Leone. In December 2025, he spent his Christmas break in Sierra Leone, leading a week-long humanitarian mission in which he organized one of the nation’s biggest Christmas events for people with disabilities, distributing full kits, balls, and equipment to over 350 young footballers; donating medical supplies; and securing land for a future education and youth development center.