Al-Taawoun fans chant Diogo Jota's name to provoke Neves, Ronaldo demands sanctions

Al-Taawoun supporters chanted Diogo Jota’s name during Al-Hilal’s 6-0 victory in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday, in the 7th round of the Saudi championship. The Portuguese striker died on July 3, 2025 in a car accident, and these chants were clearly aimed at provoking his close friend and compatriot Ruben Neves, who was on the pitch that evening.

Neves responded with restraint from the field: he gave a thumbs up, applauded, then pointed toward the sky before signaling to supporters that they were being watched. Despite his team’s overwhelming victory, the midfielder had not dispelled his anger at the final whistle. Speaking to journalists, he said: “I just hope they don’t go pray after what they’ve done.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal captain and Al-Nassr striker, took a public stance to condemn this behavior and call on the league to act. “The league must act and punish this kind of fan behavior. This is no longer football, and there must be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again,” said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

The incident comes less than four months after Jota’s death, which deeply affected Portuguese and European football. Neves, who has 69 caps with the national team, was particularly close to the former Liverpool striker.