Ruben Neves was targeted by Al-Taawoun supporters chanting the name of his late friend and former Wolves team-mate Diogo Jota during a Saudi Pro League match on Saturday, prompting Cristiano Ronaldo to demand that those responsible be handed lifetime stadium bans.
Footage shared on social media showed Neves responding to groups of Al-Taawoun fans repeatedly chanting Jota's name in his direction. The Portugal and Al-Hilal midfielder appeared to signal to the fans that 'God is watching', pointing first to the sky, then to his eyes and finally toward them, repeating the gesture before returning to the game.
Portugal captain Ronaldo posted on Instagram on Sunday condemning the chants. 'The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior. 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,' he wrote.
Neves briefly addressed the incident after Al-Hilal beat Al-Taawoun 6-0, speaking to reporters as he walked quickly through the mixed zone. 'I hope they don't go to prayer later,' he said, appearing to contrast the fans' behaviour with religious teachings.
The gesture toward Al-Taawoun fans
Neves has been a close friend of Jota since their time together at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where the pair played alongside each other for years before also representing Portugal together.
Jota, a Liverpool forward, died at the age of 28 alongside his brother Andre Silva, 25, after a car crash in northern Spain in July 2025. He was driving back to England for pre-season training at the time. Neves was one of the pallbearers at Jota's funeral.
Last year, Neves revealed a new leg tattoo depicting him hugging his late team-mate, describing it as an emotional tribute. Portugal decided that Neves should wear Jota's old number 21 shirt. Neves has also remained a constant figure of support for Jota's widow, Rute Cardoso, who had married Jota just 11 days before the crash.
Condemnation in Saudi Arabia
The chants aimed at Neves have been widely condemned within Saudi Arabia. Waleed Al-Farraj, a prominent Saudi football broadcaster, said the abuse lacked 'humanity'.
'For you to say 'Messi' to [Cristiano] Ronaldo, this goes within the competition that exists between them, but to chant at Neves, the Al-Hilal player, with the name of his deceased team-mate Jota, this is an improper act,' Al-Farraj said. 'How do you play on people's sorrows in this way? You must have some humanity.'
'Wrong and unacceptable'
Saudi Arabia international Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, who plays for Al-Ahli, also described the chants as 'wrong and unacceptable' in a social media post.
'I wanted to draw attention to something we all witnessed today. I felt it was my duty - as a Muslim - to share this and raise awareness,' Abu Al-Shamat wrote on Instagram. 'No one is perfect, of course, but regarding the actions of some Al-Taawoun fans during the match against Al-Hilal: this isn't just about our club; it concerns our great religion, Islam.'
He continued: '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. We live in an Islamic country, and it is our duty to show the world what Islam truly represents - a religion of love, tolerance, and respect.'
Abu Al-Shamat added that he hoped the attention on the Saudi Pro League could be used 'to project the best possible image of Islam', saying he felt a personal obligation to speak out 'because it is wrong and unacceptable'.
