Incident during Saudi Pro League fixture in Buraidah

During a Saudi Pro League match between Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal in Buraidah on Saturday, home supporters directed chants referencing the late Portuguese forward Diogo Jota at Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves. The 29-year-old Portuguese international was preparing to take a free kick when chants of "Jota" echoed from the home stands. Neves reacted directly on the pitch by pointing to his eye, giving a thumbs up, sarcastically applauding the crowd, and pointing his finger toward the sky. Neves played 75 minutes of the contest before being substituted, with Al-Hilal securing a 6-0 victory.

Following the final whistle, Neves addressed the behaviour of the supporters while passing through the mixed zone.

“I hope they don't go to pray afterwards.”

Tragedy in Zamora and funeral ties

The taunts targeted Neves due to his close friendship with Jota, his former Portugal international teammate. Jota died at age 28 alongside his 25-year-old brother, Portuguese second-division footballer Andre Silva, in a car crash on 3 July 2025 in the province of Zamora in northwestern Spain. Jota was driving the vehicle at the time of the fatal accident. Neves was one of Jota's closest friends and served as one of the pallbearers carrying his coffin at the funeral.

Ronaldo urges lifetime bans for offending supporters

Footage filmed from the stands circulated across social media platforms, prompting Portugal captain and Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo to demand severe disciplinary measures on Sunday. Ronaldo, who played with Jota in the Portuguese national team and also competes in the Saudi Pro League, commented directly on an Instagram post displaying the incident in Buraidah. The Al-Nassr forward called on league officials to permanently bar those involved from entering football grounds.

“The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour. 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.”

Clubs file complaints and launch disciplinary reviews

The Al-Hilal Club Company announced on Sunday that it submitted an official complaint to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation regarding the incident. The club stated that it categorically rejects offensive collective chants targeting players or their families, adding that it expects governing bodies to protect the integrity of sporting competition. Al-Taawoun issued its own statement later on Sunday, describing the chants as completely unacceptable and contrary to the club's values. Al-Taawoun confirmed it is coordinating with competent authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent similar occurrences.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League released a joint statement confirming that disciplinary committees have identified the conduct and will announce official decisions according to league regulations. The governing bodies stated that exploiting personal tragedies to provoke opponents has no place in Saudi football. Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the 2034 World Cup, following roughly two billion dollars invested in the sport across three years to attract international players.