Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday (September 13, 2026) that fans who appeared to make chants referencing former teammate Diogo Jota at Ruben Neves during a Saudi Pro League match should be banned from football stadiums for life.
Footage filmed from the stands during the match and circulated on social media appeared to show supporters chanting ‘Jota’. Passing through the mixed zone after the game, Neves commented, “I hope they don’t go to pray afterwards. The chants occurred on Saturday (September 12, 2026) during a fixture between Al-Taawoun and Neves’ side Al-Hilal in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia. The game finished 6-0 to Al-Hilal, with Neves playing 75 minutes before being substituted. Al-Hilal Club Company announced in a statement on their website on Sunday (September 13, 2026) that they had filed a complaint with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation relating to the incident.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” said Ronaldo. The Saudi Pro League club were “confident” that measures would be taken to “protect the integrity of sporting competition from offensive practices. “The Company expressed its absolute rejection of such actions targeting players or their families, or intended to cause personal offence,” said Al-Hilal’s statement.