Cristiano Ronaldo Calls For Fans Who Mocked Diogo Jota’s Death To Be Banned For Life — ‘This Is No Longer Football’
Cristiano Ronaldo has called for strong action against supporters accused of mocking the death of Diogo Jota during Ruben Neves’ latest match for Al-Hilal, saying anyone responsible should never be allowed inside a stadium again.
Neves was playing against Al-Taawoun on Saturday when footage appeared to show supporters singing the former Liverpool and Wolves forward’s name in a mocking manner.
Al-Hilal won 6-0, with former Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli scoring a hat-trick and England international Ollie Watkins adding two goals. But the result was overshadowed by the reported chants directed at Neves, who was a close friend of Jota.
Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in July 2025.
After the match, Neves appeared to respond to the incident, saying: “I hope they don’t go to prayer later.”
Ronaldo subsequently spoke out on Instagram, calling on the Saudi Pro League to take action.
“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour,” Ronaldo 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.”
Neves’ Lasting Bond With Jota
The incident carried particular weight because of the friendship between Neves and Jota, who played together at Wolves and for Portugal.
Neves has previously spoken about the way he continues to remember his former teammate, revealing that he remains part of a WhatsApp group with Jota’s widow, Rute, and that he still sends messages to his late friend.
“I still talk to him. Few people know this,” Neves previously said.
“We have a WhatsApp group with Rute (Jota’s widow) and Diogo, and it’s still there, and we continue to talk there.”
Neves also revealed that he has a tattoo of Jota on his leg.
Calls For Respect From Saudi Football
Saudi Arabia international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat also condemned the behaviour attributed to some Al-Taawoun supporters.
Writing on Instagram, he said he felt it was his duty “as a Muslim” to speak out, stressing that sporting rivalry should never extend to mocking the dead or attacking their families.
“No matter how intense the rivalry or the situation, we should never stoop to gloating over the dead, engaging in slander, or attacking people’s families or the deceased,” he wrote.
He added that Saudi Arabia’s status as an Islamic country made it important for football to reflect values of “love, tolerance, and respect”.
The incident has now prompted calls from prominent figures for action beyond the immediate match, with Ronaldo making clear that, in his view, behaviour of this nature should have consequences that extend beyond the stadium.
