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 online controversy since morning.

The footage captured seconds before the kick quickly went viral and triggered a wave of speculation about the words Ronaldo muttered to himself as he approached the spot. Many viewers claimed the Portuguese star said Bismillah (In the name of Allah) and suggested it reflected a personal ritual developed during his years in Saudi football.

What did Ronaldo mumble?

So far no proof or official confirmation exists that this is what was actually said. Ronaldo himself has not addressed the clip leaving the segment open to varied interpretations. The discussion online turned particularly amusing with many users from the Arab world enthusiastically arguing that Ronaldo recited a Muslim prayer before the kick and repeated Bismillah twice. In contrast Portuguese fans and media outlets insisted the phrase was not Arabic at all but rather the player encouraging himself with vais marcar a Portuguese expression meaning you are going to score or I am going to score.

The speculation about Ronaldo did not arise from nowhere. Less than two years ago his former Al-Nassr teammate goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah claimed the 41-year-old Portuguese player was interested in converting to Islam. Abdullah who played for Al-Nassr from February 2017 until last summer and earned 69 caps for Saudi Arabia said on the Saudi channel program The Last Meeting that Ronaldo wants to embrace Islam. I discussed the topic with him and he showed interest. Once he even prostrated on the pitch after scoring a goal and he always encourages players to pray while caring about other Islam-related matters.

When Ronaldo bowed all the players shouted Allahu Akbar together Abdullah continued. He requires players to pray regularly and when he hears the muezzin call he asks the coach to stop training. The goalkeeper stressed that regardless of whether Ronaldo converts he is a committed and disciplined player at the highest level which explains how he reached his current status.

On the other hand reports indicate Ronaldo and Georgina's wedding is scheduled for September in Madeira at Funchal Cathedral essentially a Catholic ceremony.

Regardless the debate over the clip has become one of the most discussed topics online since the match with thousands of users continuing to analyze Ronaldo's lip movements and offer differing interpretations. At this stage without clearer footage or an official statement from the star the question of what he truly said moments before the penalty remains a mystery.