Ronaldo calls for lifetime stadium bans after fans taunt Ruben Neves over Diogo Jota’s death
Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime stadium bans after opposition supporters taunted Ruben Neves with chants about the death of Diogo Jota during Al Hilal’s 6-0 away win over Al Taawon.
Saudi football authorities said they would take action after the incident, which took place on Saturday during Al Hilal’s heavy victory.
Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward, died in a car crash in Spain in July 2025. He was 28. His younger brother, Andre, 25, also died in the accident.
Neves, 29, was one of Jota’s closest friends and carried his coffin at the funeral. He reacted to the chants from the stands with a sarcastic thumbs-up and applause before pointing to the sky.
After the match, Neves said: “I just hope that after what they’ve just done, they don’t go and pray.”
Ronaldo, who plays in Saudi Arabia and captains Portugal, responded on Instagram on Sunday.
He said the league must punish supporters involved in the incident.
“The league has to act and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” Ronaldo wrote. “People who behave like that should never be allowed into stadiums again.”
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League issued a joint statement on Sunday evening condemning what they described as the “unacceptable behaviour of some supporters”.
“Exploiting personal tragedies for the purposes of insult or provocation is unacceptable and has no place in Saudi football,” the statement said.
It added that the relevant committees had identified the violations and would take the necessary action under the existing regulations and procedures.
The episode has drawn attention because Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the 2034 World Cup. Football is a central part of the country’s wider economic diversification plans, and Saudi clubs have spent close to $2 billion on players over the past three years.
That investment has brought high-profile names to the league, including Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema. The authorities now face pressure to show that abuse linked to a player’s bereavement will be dealt with firmly.
For Neves, the issue is deeply personal. Jota was not simply a former Portugal team-mate. The two were close away from football, and Neves had spoken publicly about the loss after the crash.
Ronaldo’s call goes further than a standard fine or warning. He wants supporters who use a personal tragedy to taunt a player to lose the right to attend football matches permanently.
The Saudi FA and Saudi Pro League have not yet announced the exact sanctions. Their statement confirms, however, that the case has been identified and will be reviewed under the relevant disciplinary rules.
