13 September 2026
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, commented on the "Jota" chants by the fans of, Al-Taawoun, in their attempts to provoke Rúben Neves—who plays for Al-Hilal—during a match in the Roshn League. A group of Al-Taawoun supporters chanted the name of late Portuguese star Diogo Jota in an effort to unsettle Neves during the match against Al-Hilal. The game, held on Saturday evening as part of the seventh round of the Roshn Professional League, ended in a crushing 6–0 defeat for the home side.
Responding to a viral video shared by the "Actu Foot" account on X (formerly Twitter), Ronaldo wrote: "The league authorities must intervene and penalize this type of fan behavior. This is no longer football; there must be limits. People who behave this way should not be allowed to enter any stadium again." The Al-Nassr captain’s comments came hours after the video went viral, amidst sharp criticism of the chants directed at Neves.
Neves appeared visibly affected by the chants; he pointed toward the sky and sarcastically applauded the crowd. After the match, he remarked, "I hope they don't go to pray after what they did."
The chants were particularly sensitive for Neves, who shared a strong, long-standing friendship with Jota, having played together in Portugal, at the English club Wolverhampton Wanderers, and for the Portuguese national team.
Neves was deeply affected by Jota’s death and even served as a pallbearer at his funeral; he often spoke of Jota as family rather than merely a teammate or friend.
Ronaldo also shared a bond with Jota through the Portuguese national team, where they played together for years; Ronaldo was among the prominent football stars who mourned the Liverpool forward following his passing.
The Al-Nassr captain appeared at various ceremonies and events honoring Jota over the past year, while Portugal has continued to commemorate his memory since his passing.
Diogo Jota died on July 3, 2025, at the age of 28, in a horrific car accident in the Spanish province of Zamora. The vehicle he was traveling in with his brother, André Silva, veered off the road after a tire burst and subsequently caught fire, resulting in the deaths of both brothers.
