RismadarVoice Reporters
September 13, 2026
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has called for strong sanctions against supporters accused of mocking the death of former Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Diogo Jota during a Saudi Pro League match involving Jota’s close friend and former teammate, Ruben Neves.
Neves was playing for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal against Al-Taawoun on Saturday when sections of the home support were heard chanting about Jota, who died alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva, in a road accident in Spain in July 2025.
The incident occurred during a match that Al-Hilal won 6-0, with former Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli scoring a hat-trick and England striker Ollie Watkins contributing two goals.
Despite the emphatic victory, attention after the match centred largely on the chants directed at Neves and the emotional reaction of the midfielder, who was a close friend of Jota during their time together at Wolves and with the Portuguese national team.
Video footage circulating online appeared to show Neves reacting to supporters who were seemingly mocking Jota’s name.
After the match, Neves expressed his anger and disappointment, saying: “I hope they don’t go to prayer later.”
Ronaldo subsequently condemned the behaviour and called on the Saudi Pro League to take decisive action against those responsible.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour. This is no longer football, and there have to be limits,” Ronaldo said in a social media post.
He added that supporters found responsible should be prevented from attending football matches in the future.
“People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again,” he said.
Neves and Jota developed a close friendship after joining Wolves as young players and later represented Portugal together at international level. Their relationship continued after Jota moved to Liverpool and Neves eventually transferred to Al-Hilal.
Neves has previously spoken publicly about the difficulty of dealing with Jota’s death and revealed that he continues to communicate through a WhatsApp group involving Jota and his widow, Rute Cardoso.
He said he has preserved their conversations and continues to send messages to the group despite knowing that Jota can no longer respond.
The controversy also drew condemnation from Saudi Arabian international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, who said he felt compelled to speak out because of the religious and cultural values associated with Saudi Arabia.
Al-Shamat described the alleged behaviour as unacceptable and said football rivalry should never extend to celebrating the death of another person or insulting the families of the deceased.
“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,” he said.
He urged supporters to maintain respect even during intense sporting rivalries, stressing that mocking the dead or attacking their families should not be tolerated.
The reaction comes as the Saudi Pro League continues to attract significant international attention following the arrival of prominent players and managers from European football.
Ronaldo’s call for stadium bans adds pressure on football authorities to determine whether disciplinary measures should be imposed on the supporters involved.
Jota, who was 28 when he died, enjoyed a distinguished career with Wolves and Liverpool and represented Portugal at major international tournaments. His death prompted tributes from teammates, former clubs and players across the football world.
The latest incident has therefore intensified calls for football authorities and supporters to maintain basic standards of respect, particularly when dealing with tragedies involving players, former players and their families.
