Karim Adeyemi
Active- Current or last club
- Barcelona
- Country (nationality)
- Germany
- League or competition
- La Liga
- Position
- Winger * forward
- How is the religion known?
- Unconfirmed, needs checking
- Last checked
- 9 October 2026
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Karim Adeyemi?
Karim Adeyemi is a German professional footballer whose religious beliefs are private, as he has never publicly confirmed his faith. While fans online frequently speculate about his religion or include him in compiled lists of Muslim football players due to his first name, there is no official verification or statement from the Barcelona forward himself. He is of multicultural heritage, born in Munich to a Nigerian father and a Romanian mother, but he prefers to keep his personal spiritual life out of the media spotlight.
Karim Adeyemi is a forward for FC Barcelona as well as the Germany national team, and he previously played for Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. In 2021, Karim won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship and was the Austrian Bundesliga top scorer for the 2021–22 season. He was the youngest player to score a goal for Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League at age 18, and he became the Bundesliga’s speed record holder in February 2023 by reaching 36.65 km/h during a match against Freiburg. In July 2026, Adeyemi signed a five-year, €22 million deal with FC Barcelona.
Early life
Karim David Adeyemi was born on January 18, 2002, in Munich, Germany. His father, Abbey, is from Ibadan, Nigeria, and his mother, Alexandra, is from Romania. Adeyemi played as a youth for TSV Forstenried, and at the age of eight, he joined local Bundesliga side Bayern Munich’s youth academy in 2010. However, his time there lasted only two years, and he left the club after a dispute over his contract.
In 2012, Adeyemi moved to SpVgg Unterhaching to continue his training. Even though top clubs like Chelsea were watching him, 16-year-old Adeyemi decided to move to Austria in 2018 to join Red Bull Salzburg.
Red Bull Salzburg
Adeyemi started his time in Austria on loan at FC Liefering, which is Salzburg’s feeder club. He made his debut in September 2018 and scored 15 goals in 35 games. He played his first match for the main Salzburg team in February 2020 during a Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt. Later that year, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–1 win against Lokomotiv Moscow. In his final season, he scored 17 league goals to help Salzburg win the Austrian league title and reach the Champions League knockout rounds.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund signed Adeyemi in May 2022 for a reported €30 million fee. He scored on his debut in July 2022 during a 3–0 cup win against TSV 1860 Munich. A few months later, he got his first Champions League goal for Dortmund in a 4–1 victory over Sevilla.
His performances went up and down during his four years at Dortmund. He scored six league goals in his first season. In October 2024, he scored a brilliant Champions League hat-trick against Celtic. He also helped Dortmund reach the 2024 Champions League final, where they lost 2–0 to Real Madrid. His last season was tough due to mixed form and less playing time. He finished the 2025–26 season with 10 goals and six assists, leaving the club with a total of 36 goals in 146 matches.
Barcelona
Barcelona and Dortmund reached an agreement on a transfer in mid-July 2026 for an initial €22 million, plus up to €7 million in performance-related add-ons, totaling roughly €29 million. Borussia Dortmund also managed to successfully secure a 35% sell-on clause on any future transfer fee. The move was formally announced on July 23, 2026, with Adeyemi signing a five-year contract through June 2031.
At Barcelona, Adeyemi reunites with manager Hansi Flick, who previously handed him his senior Germany debut. He arrives as the club’s second signing of the 2026 summer transfer window, following Anthony Gordon‘s move from Newcastle United.
International career
Adeyemi played for Germany at every youth level from the under-16s to the under-21s. He won the Under-21 European Championship in 2021 after beating Portugal 1–0 in the final. Later that year, he made his senior debut for Germany in a 6–0 win against Armenia. He scored the final goal in that match and became the very first German player born in the 2000s to score for the senior team. He scored again that November in a 9–0 win over Liechtenstein.
Although he made the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar, he did not play any matches before Germany was knocked out. After a long time away from the team, he returned in March 2025 for a Nations League match against Italy. He then helped Germany finish fourth in the Nations League finals. Recently, in May 2026, coach Julian Nagelsmann left Adeyemi out of the 2026 World Cup squad. The coach chose his Dortmund teammate, Maximilian Beier, for the final spot instead.
Personal life
Adeyemi and Loredana Zefi began dating in early 2023, and the couple got married in a private ceremony on October 2, 2024. They made their marriage public in December 2024. Zefi was previously married to fellow musician Mozzik from 2018 to 2019 and has a daughter from that relationship.
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