Following Al-Hilal's 6-0 defeat of Al-Taawoun on 13 September 2026, a small group of supporters chanted the name of Diogo Jota, a Portuguese footballer who died in a car accident in July 2025, at Al-Hilal player Rúben Neves, Jota's former teammate. The incident deeply upset Neves, who responded with an emotional gesture, and prompted Cristiano Ronaldo to publicly call for strict punishment of such behaviour on his Instagram account to 680 million followers. The incident highlighted the Saudi Pro League's challenge in building global credibility like established European leagues whilst managing fan conduct standards.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation condemned the chants as unacceptable and inconsistent with the league's values, handing Al-Taawoun a £20,000 fine and ordering two matches behind closed doors. Senior Saudi figures, including broadcaster Waleed al-Faraj and football legend Sami al-Jaber, publicly denounced the behaviour as inappropriate and contrary to Saudi values of respect and hospitality. However, some observers felt the sanctions were insufficient given the severity of exploiting a personal tragedy for provocation, with criticism that the league had been too lenient.