Cristiano Ronaldo has called on the Saudi Pro League to take the strongest possible action against supporters who appeared to taunt Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants referencing his late friend and former Portugal team-mate Diogo Jota.
The incident occurred during Al Hilal’s 6-0 victory over Al Taawoun on Saturday, with footage from the stands appearing to show a section of the home supporters repeatedly chanting Jota’s name while Neves prepared to take a free-kick close to the Al Taawoun fans.
The chants have drawn widespread condemnation because of Neves’ exceptionally close relationship with Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain in July 2025 at the age of 28.
Ronaldo, who plays for Al Nassr and was a Portugal team-mate of both Neves and Jota, believes the behaviour crossed a line that should not be tolerated inside a football stadium.
Speaking on the incident, the Portuguese captain said:
“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.”
How the incident unfolded
The footage circulating online was recorded from the stands at Al Taawoun Club Stadium in Buraidah.
Neves can be seen standing over a free-kick next to his teammate Crysencio Summerville near the home supporters when chants of “Jota, Jota, Jota” become audible.
The Portuguese midfielder appeared to respond sarcastically by applauding the supporters before pointing towards the sky and then gesturing towards the section of the stand from which the chants appeared to originate.
The response appeared to reflect the deeply personal nature of the chants for Neves.
After the match, the 29-year-old briefly addressed reporters while walking past the media area.
“I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did.”
Neves did not elaborate further on the incident, but his reaction, together with the footage from the stadium, has intensified the criticism directed at the supporters involved.
Ronaldo’s intervention has added further weight to the calls for disciplinary action. The Al Nassr forward has known Neves for years through the Portugal national team and also shared the dressing room with Jota at international level.
Al Hilal dominate Al Taawoun
The disturbing incident took place during what was otherwise an emphatic performance from Al Hilal.
Simone Inzaghi’s side produced one of their most impressive attacking displays of the season, defeating Al Taawoun 6-0 in the seventh round of the Saudi Pro League.
Gabriel Martinelli was the outstanding performer, scoring a hat-trick, while former Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins added two goals. Sultan Mandash completed the scoring late in the second half.
Watkins opened the scoring after nine minutes, before Martinelli doubled Al Hilal’s advantage in the 18th minute. The Brazilian then added two more goals either side of half-time to complete his hat-trick, while Watkins scored his second before Mandash rounded off the rout.
The result moved Al Hilal to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings with 18 points from their opening seven matches. Al Taawoun, meanwhile, remained 17th with just two points.
The victory was particularly important for Inzaghi’s team because Al Hilal had suffered a 2-0 defeat against NEOM SC in their previous league match, ending a remarkable unbeaten run in the Saudi Pro League.
The match also saw Neves contribute on the pitch, providing the assist for Watkins’ opening goal.
Yet despite the emphatic scoreline and Al Hilal’s return to winning ways, the chants aimed at Neves became the most discussed aspect of the match.
Neves and Jota: A friendship that began in youth football
The reason the incident has generated such strong emotions lies in the depth of the relationship between Neves and Jota.
The pair were born only four months apart and developed their friendship through Portuguese youth international football before becoming club team-mates at Porto.
In July 2017, both players moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers, joining the English club while they were still in the Championship.
They spent three seasons together at Wolves and played important roles as the club progressed towards the Premier League.
Their relationship also extended beyond football. Their families lived in the Compton area of Wolverhampton, and the two friends socialised together away from the pitch. Both also became established members of Portugal’s senior national team.
For Neves, Jota was therefore not simply a former team-mate. He was a close friend whose presence remained part of his personal and professional life.
That bond is permanently represented by a tattoo on Neves’ calf depicting the two players embracing.
The strength of their relationship was also evident after Jota’s death, when Neves served as one of the pallbearers at his funeral.
Jota died alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva, after the car they were travelling in crashed in Zamora, Spain, in July 2025. Jota was 28, while Andre was 25.
Jota had earned 49 caps for Portugal and wore the No.21 shirt for his country. After his death, that shirt number was passed to Neves in August 2025.
“He had a very close relationship with Diogo and is the ideal person to represent him,” former Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez said when explaining the decision.
That history makes the chants heard in Buraidah particularly painful.
For Neves, the memory of Jota is something he carries with him both privately and visibly. The tattoo on his leg, the shirt number he inherited and his role at Jota’s funeral are all reminders of a friendship that began in football but extended far beyond it.
And for Ronaldo, the issue has become one of basic boundaries.
Football rivalries, disappointment and hostile atmospheres have always been part of the sport. But invoking the death of a player’s close friend, particularly in circumstances as tragic as Jota’s, has been widely viewed as crossing a line.
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