Cristiano Ronaldo has called on the Saudi Pro League to impose lifetime stadium bans on supporters involved in allegedly taunting Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants referencing his late friend and former Portugal teammate, Diogo Jota.

The incident reportedly occurred during Al Hilal’s match against Al Taawoun on Saturday, when Neves was preparing to take a free-kick near the home supporters.

Footage widely circulated on social media appears to show sections of the Al Taawoun Club Stadium stands chanting “Jota, Jota, Jota” as Neves stood over the set piece.

Neves appeared to respond by sarcastically applauding the supporters before pointing towards the sky and subsequently making an eye-pointing gesture towards the section of the stand from which the chants appeared to originate.

The 29-year-old midfielder later appeared to address the incident briefly while walking past reporters after the match.

“I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did,” Neves was quoted as saying, without providing further details.

Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, is a Portugal international teammate of Neves and previously played alongside Jota at international level.

Reacting to the alleged chants, Ronaldo called for strong disciplinary action against those responsible, insisting that supporters who engage in such behaviour should face a lifetime ban from football stadiums.

He said those involved “should never be allowed to enter a stadium again.”

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with attention now focused on whether the Saudi Pro League or relevant authorities will investigate the alleged conduct and take disciplinary action against the supporters involved.