Cristiano Ronaldo calls for lifetime bans after Saudi fans taunt Ruben Neves over Diogo Jota death

Cristiano Ronaldo has called on the Saudi Pro League to issue lifetime bans to fans who disgracefully taunted Ruben Neves by chanting the name of his late former team-mate and close friend Diogo Jota.

A video shared on social media showed Al-Taawoun supporters repeatedly shout "Jota, Jota, Jota" at Al-Hilal midfielder Neves during the clash to try and unsettle the Portuguese international.

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During the incident, Neves reacted by pointing to the sky and then to his eyes, as if to tell the fans that "God is watching".

When asked about the chants after the game, which Al-Hilal emphatically won 6-0, Neves told reporters: "I hope they don't go to prayer later."

Ronaldo, the face of Saudi Arabia's football project, then took to Instagram to furiously call out the fans who taunted Neves, demanding action from the SPL.

"The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour," he wrote.

"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."

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Former Liverpool forward Jota tragically died alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in July 2025, which was mourned by the football world.

Ronaldo led the tributes for Jota at the World Cup, donning a Portugal shirt with the number 21 - Jota's old international shirt number - after their round of 32 win over Croatia.

Neves, meanwhile, has a tattoo of him and Jota on his left calf, honouring the man he shared the pitch with both for Portugal and Wolves, where both stamped their mark on English football. He was also a pallbearer at Jota's funeral.

Saudi Arabian international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat was among those to also express outrage at the chants, branding the actions of fans as "wrong and acceptable" while also being against the religious teachings of Islam.

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"I wanted to draw attention to something we all witnessed today. I felt it was my duty - as a Muslim - to share this and raise awareness," Abu Al-Shamat wrote on Instagram.

"No one is perfect, of course, but regarding the actions of some Al-Taawoun fans during the match against Al-Hilal: this isn't just about our club; it concerns our great religion, Islam.

"No matter how intense the rivalry or the situation, we should never stoop to gloating over the dead, engaging in slander, or attacking people's families or the deceased.

"We live in an Islamic country, and it is our duty to show the world what Islam truly represents - a religion of love, tolerance, and respect. I hope we can leverage the massive attention our league is receiving to project the best possible image of Islam.

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"By doing so, we might foster goodwill and help others learn about our faith. That is the message I wanted to convey; I felt a personal obligation, as a Muslim living in this great Islamic nation, to speak out against what is happening - because it is wrong and unacceptable."

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