Superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo’s whisper broadcast live around the world before the decisive penalty against Croatia sparked a global debate over whether it was an Arabic-inspired sacred invocation or his own pre-Saudi encouragement routine in Portuguese.
By Peter Barabas & Euronews’ Doha and Dubai bureaus and Euronews Portuguese and Arabic services
Published on
03/07/2026 - 20:46 GMT+2
The deeply personal moment of Cristiano Ronaldo's maximum concentration was captured by a camera close-up and broadcast live to billions around the world seconds before taking the decisive penalty in Portugal’s 2-1 dramatic victory over Croatia on Friday.
Yet it was his whisper to himself that ignited a worldwide debate on social media as to what exactly he said.
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