Cristiano Ronaldo has called for harsh measures against fans who chanted offensive songs about former Portugal international Diogo Jota during a match in Saudi Arabia.
Opposing fans of Al Hilal were heard chanting Jota’s name during Al Hilal’s 6-0 victory over Al Taawoun on Saturday. Jota, the former Liverpool and Portugal forward, lost his life in a traffic accident in Spain in July 2025, along with his brother Andre.
The chants particularly affected Ruben Neves, the Al Hilal midfielder and one of Jota’s closest friends. Neves was also one of the people who carried Jota’s coffin during the funeral ceremony.
Neves responded to the fans by applauding sarcastically and pointing towards the sky. “I just hope they don’t go and pray later after what they did,” he said after the match.
Ronaldo, Portugal captain and Al Nassr forward, responded in a social media post, calling for football authorities to take action.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of behavior from fans,” Ronaldo wrote. He added that people who behave in this manner “should never be allowed to enter a stadium again.”
The Saudi Football Federation and the Saudi Professional League have also condemned the incident. In a joint statement, they described the behavior of some fans as unacceptable.
“Exploiting personal tragedies to insult or provoke others is unacceptable behavior and has no place in Saudi football,” the statement said.
Saudi authorities have announced that the relevant committees have identified those responsible and will take measures in accordance with the regulations in force.
The incident comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in football and preparing to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Over the past three years, the country has invested billions of dollars in football and attracted major stars such as Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema.
