Former football star Fred Oumar Kanoute has raised $1m in an online crowdfunding campaign to build the first purpose-built mosque and cultural centre in Seville, Spain, in over 700 years.

Kanoute, a French-born Muslim with a Malian background who previously played for Sevilla FC, started the campaign a year ago on LaunchGood, a crowdfunding platform focused on the global Muslim community.

“Thank you and may Allah reward for you for all those who participated in the campaign,” Kanoute tweeted on Tuesday.

Last year, Kanoute teamed up with the Seville Mosque Foundation (SMF) to achieve this.

The Seville Muslim community was a “beautiful mix” including Spanish converts, second-generation Spanish Muslims, and people from Algeria, Morocco, Senegal and Malian background, he said.

Spain has an estimated two million Muslims, with around 30,000 living in Seville.

In 2007, Kanoute, a Spanish and UEFA cup winner, bought a musalla, or prayer space, in Seville that was on the verge of closing down after the contract of the premises was set to expire. Kanoute has previously described that space as a “temporary mosque”.

The $1m project promises to be larger and more permanent.

Find more on his twitter handle below.

Thank you everyone for the generous support for @MezquitaSevilla #SevilleMosque https://t.co/dnCWJqMTKr pic.twitter.com/1FluRGHM5U

— Fred Oumar KANOUTÉ (@FredericKanoute) May 19, 2020