Cristiano Ronaldo has urged the Saudi Pro League to hand out lifetime stadium bans to supporters who mocked Ruben Neves by chanting the name of his late friend and former teammate Diogo Jota during a recent league fixture.
Footage circulating on social media captured Al-Taawoun fans repeatedly shouting "Jota, Jota, Jota" at Neves in an apparent attempt to rattle the Al-Hilal midfielder during Saturday's match, which Al-Hilal went on to win convincingly 6-0. Neves responded to the taunts by pointing skyward and then to his eyes, a gesture widely interpreted as suggesting that a higher power was watching the fans' behavior.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Neves addressed the incident with a pointed remark: "I just hope they don't go to pray later after what they did."
Jota, who spent time alongside Neves at both Wolverhampton Wanderers and with the Portuguese national team, died in July last year at age 28 in a car accident in Spain's Zamora province that also claimed the life of his brother, Andre Silva. The Liverpool forward had scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the Merseyside club since arriving from Wolves in 2020, and notched 14 goals in 49 caps for Portugal after debuting in 2019.
Neves has since taken to wearing the number 21 for Portugal — Jota's old international number — as a tribute to his fallen friend. He also carries a tattoo on his left calf depicting the two players embracing, and served as a pallbearer at Jota's funeral.
Ronaldo, who has represented Portugal alongside both men and now plies his trade for Al-Nassr in the Saudi league, did not hold back in his reaction to the chants. Taking to social media, he wrote: "The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour. This is no longer football, and there have to be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again."
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has become closely associated with Portuguese football's collective grief over Jota's passing. At the World Cup, he wore a shirt bearing the number 21 in tribute to his former international colleague following Portugal's round of 32 victory over Croatia.
The backlash against the Al-Taawoun supporters extended beyond Ronaldo. Saudi international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat also condemned the chants publicly, describing the conduct as incompatible with Islamic teachings. Writing on Instagram, he stated that mocking the dead or attacking a person's family runs contrary to the values of tolerance and respect that Islam represents, regardless of footballing rivalries.
"I felt it was my duty — as a Muslim — to share this and raise awareness," Abu Al-Shamat wrote, adding that he hoped the incident could instead become an opportunity to showcase the true character of his faith to a global audience following Saudi football closely.
Neither Al-Hilal nor Al-Taawoun has yet issued an official statement addressing the incident, though the episode has intensified scrutiny on crowd conduct within the rapidly growing Saudi Pro League as it continues to attract global attention and high-profile talent.
Based on reporting from The Independent and BBC Sport.