Neymar shocked the world by signing with Al Hilal in the summer of 2023. At 31, he decided to leave Europe to try his luck in the exotic Saudi league, which had grown in prominence following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival a few months earlier.
Although he was welcomed as the superstar he is after signing a lucrative contract, the Riyadh team’s fans have seen very little of him on the pitch so far.
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In fact, Neymar only got to play five matches for Al Hilal before suffering a severe injury while playing for the Brazilian national team.
On October 17, 2023, the former PSG player tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during Brazil’s defeat to Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
This injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, meaning Ney’s last appearance for Al Hilal came on October 3, 2023, in a 3-0 victory over Iran’s FC Nassaji in the second round of the AFC Champions League group stage. That night, the Brazilian scored his team’s second goal.
That has been Neymar’s only goal for his current club, where he also recorded three assists in five matches played.
Neymar’s five matches with Al Hilal
- 15/09/2023: Al Hilal 6-1 Al Riyadh (two assists)
- 18/09/2023: Al Hilal 1-1 Navbahor
- 21/09/2023: Al Hilal 1-1 Damac FC
- 29/09/2023: Al Shabab 2-0 Al Hilal (one assist)
- 03/10/2023: Al Hilal 3-0 FC Nassaji (one goal)
