Some supporters of Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun chanted the name of former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota during a match on Saturday, targeting Al Hilal midfielder Rúben Neves, who was close to the player before his death. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo condemned the chants and called for the league to punish those responsible.
The abuse came as Al Hilal thrashed Al-Taawoun 6-0 on the hosts' own ground. According to the report, the chants broke out during a stoppage in play, with a section of the home crowd targeting Neves specifically over his connection to Jota.
Neves, visibly affected, addressed the incident briefly with journalists after the final whistle. He said he simply hoped that the fans responsible would not go on to pray after what they had done.
Diogo Jota's death
Diogo Jota died in a car accident on 3 July 2025. The Portugal international and Liverpool forward was reported to have been particularly close to Neves, his compatriot and Portugal teammate.
Ronaldo calls for sanctions
Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of both Al Nassr and the Portugal national team, reacted quickly on social media. He wrote that the league had to act and sanction this kind of behaviour from supporters, adding that it was no longer football and that limits needed to be set. He said that people who behaved this way should never be allowed into a stadium again.
Other players react
Several Saudi Pro League players also spoke out, among them Saudi international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat. He said that whatever the intensity of a rivalry, players must never target the families of victims or the dead.
The clubs involved
Al Hilal, one of the most successful clubs in Saudi and Asian football, are based in the capital, Riyadh. Al-Taawoun, based in Buraidah, sit lower down the Saudi Pro League table. Al Nassr, Ronaldo's club, and Al Hilal, Neves's club, are among several Saudi sides that have signed high-profile foreign players in recent seasons, including a number of Portuguese internationals.
The episode is a reminder of how closely Jota's death is still felt among his former international teammates and compatriots, more than a year after the accident.
Federation responds
The Saudi Football Federation has since condemned the chants about Jota's death, according to the report.
