Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted with horror and anger to the provocation aimed at Rúben Neves during Al-Taawoun's match against Al-Hilal. Home supporters chanted the name of the late Diogo Jota on Saturday, a close friend of the Al-Hilal midfielder.
The scenes unfolded during a match Al-Hilal eventually won 0-6. During a stoppage, Al-Taawoun supporters repeatedly shouted Jota's name at Neves, who responded with sarcastic applause.
Jota died in early July 2025 at the age of 28 in a single-vehicle road accident in Spain. His younger brother André Silva, who was 25, also died in the crash. Jota was under contract with Liverpool at the time.
For Neves, Jota's death hit particularly hard. The two Portuguese played together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for the Portugal national team and were known to be good friends. After Jota's death, Neves also had a tattoo of the two of them together put on his calf.
After the match, Neves made it clear how deeply the chants had affected him. "I only hope that after what they have done, they do not go and pray," said the midfielder, who also appeared during the match to gesture that the supporters' behaviour was being observed by higher powers.
Ronaldo, who plays alongside Neves for the Portugal national team, believes the Saudi Pro League must take firm action. "The league must act and punish this kind of behaviour from supporters," the 41-year-old Al-Nassr star wrote on Instagram.
"This is no longer football and boundaries must be set," Ronaldo continued in his fierce message. "People who behave like this should never be allowed into a stadium again."