Ronaldo demands lifetime bans over Jota chants at Neves

Cristiano Ronaldo has called on the Saudi Pro League to impose lifetime stadium bans on fans who taunted midfielder Ruben Neves with chants referencing his late friend and former teammate, Diogo Jota. The incident occurred during AlHilal's 6-0 victory over AlTaawoun on Saturday, September 13, 2026. Video footage from the match shows AlTaawoun supporters repeatedly chanting "Jota, Jota, Jota" directed at Neves. The midfielder, who was a pallbearer at Jota's funeral, responded on the pitch by pointing to the sky and later told reporters, "I hope they don't go to prayer later." Ronaldo, who plays for AlNassr and was also a Portugal teammate of Jota, took to social media to condemn the behavior. "The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour," he wrote. "This is no longer football, and there have to be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again." Diogo Jota, the former Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, died in a car crash in Spain in July 2025 at the age of 28.