A short video of Cristiano Ronaldo moments before he scored Portugal’s equalizer from the penalty spot in a 2-1 win over Croatia in the World Cup round of 32 has sparked a storm on social media.
The clip, filmed seconds before the kick, quickly went viral and triggered a wave of speculation over the words Ronaldo appeared to whisper to himself before stepping up to the penalty spot. Many users claimed the Portuguese star said “Bismillah,” Arabic for “in the name of Allah,” and suggested it may have been a personal ritual he adopted during his years playing in Saudi football.
So far, however, there is no proof or official confirmation that this is what he actually said. Ronaldo himself has not addressed the clip, leaving it open to interpretation.
The online debate soon turned especially lively. Many Arab users insisted that Ronaldo had muttered a Muslim prayer before the kick and repeated the word “Bismillah” twice. Portuguese fans and media outlets, however, offered a completely different explanation, saying the phrase was not Arabic at all. According to them, Ronaldo was encouraging himself in Portuguese, saying “vais marcar,” meaning “you are going to score” or “I am going to score.”
The speculation over Ronaldo did not come out of nowhere. Less than two years ago, his former Al-Nassr teammate, goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah, claimed that the 41-year-old Portuguese star was interested in converting to Islam.
Abdullah, who played for Al-Nassr from February 2017 until last summer and made 69 appearances for the Saudi national team, said on the Saudi program The Last Meeting that “Ronaldo is interested in converting to Islam.”
Ronaldo with his family
(Photo: AFP)
“I spoke with him about it, and he showed interest,” Abdullah said at the time. “Once, he even prostrated on the field after scoring a goal, and he always encourages the players to pray and pays attention to other matters related to Islam.”
“When Ronaldo prostrated, all the players shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ together,” Abdullah continued. “He asks the players to pray regularly, and when he hears the muezzin’s call to prayer, he asks the coach to stop training.”
The goalkeeper added: “Regardless of whether he converts to Islam or not, he is a committed and disciplined player at the highest level, and that is why he has reached the status he has today.”
On the other hand, according to reports, Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez are expected to marry in September in Madeira at the Cathedral of Funchal, in what would be a Catholic ceremony.
Either way, the debate around the video has become one of the most talked-about topics online since the match, with thousands of users continuing to analyze Ronaldo’s lip movements and offer different interpretations.
For now, without clearer footage or an official comment from the star himself, the answer to what he really said in the moments before the penalty remains a mystery.