Neymar’s Al-Hilal Stint: A Look At His Journey Amid Santos Transfer Rumours | In PICS

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With Neymar's much awaited August 2023 transfer to Al-Hilal, which made him the most expensive signing of the Saudi Pro League at €90 million, the Saudi Pro League reached a milestone. His time at the club, on the other hand, was somewhat negated by injuries restricting his on-field presence. His time was greeted with discontent once first enthusiasm and parallels with Brazilian great Rivellino died down—in particular for departing Europe without a Ballon d’Or. Neymar tore his ACL severely after a great start and first score, which caused his de-registration. His contract's mutual termination in January 2025 follow from a short comeback in 2024 finished with one more injury.

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On August 15, 2023, Neymar signed a two-year contract with Al-Hilal, a team in the Saudi Pro League, for €90 million. This made him the most expensive player ever signed by the league. Reports say he was earning €150 million per year, which is six times more than what he was paid at PSG.

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As a big-name signing, Neymar’s transfer was compared to when Brazilian legend Rivellino joined Al-Hilal in 1978. While Barcelona was interested, other European clubs stayed away because of his huge salary. Some media also criticized his choice to leave Europe without winning the Ballon d’Or.

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Despite facing criticism, Neymar stood by his decision, saying that the Saudi league might become better than the French league, especially since star players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have also joined.

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Neymar played his first game for Al-Hilal on September 15, 2023. He helped his team by giving an assist in a big 6-1 win against Al-Riyadh. He scored his first goal for the team on October 3, in a 3-0 win against Nassaji Mazandaran in the AFC Champions League.

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In October 2023, Neymar got hurt and tore a ligament in his knee while playing for his national team. Later, in January 2024, Al-Hilal removed him from their squad to make space for another foreign player, and they brought in Renan Lodi instead.

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After being away for a year, Neymar came back on October 21, 2024, to play in an AFC Champions League game against Al Ain. But shortly after, he got a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for the rest of the year.

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In January 2025, Al-Hilal decided not to include Neymar in their team for the second half of the season. Coach Jorge Jesus said that Neymar wasn't performing as well as before. On January 27, 2025, the club announced that they had agreed to end his contract.