New Delhi: Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr made his return to professional football after a year-long absence due to injury. He made his first appearance for Al-Hilal after recovering from surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee.
The 32-year-old came off the bench in the 77th minute of his side’s 5-4 win over UAE Pro League side Al-Ain in the Asian Champions League. He sustained the injury on 17 October 2023 while playing for his country in their 2026 World Cup qualifier with Uruguay. He has been out for 366 days missing 53 games for Al-Hilal.
The forward is Brazil’s male all-time top goalscorer underwent surgery the following month. Despite the lengthy layoff, Neymar displayed glimpses of his trademark flair and came close to marking his return with a goal, only to be denied after a swift Al-Hilal counter-attack. However, it was Al-Ain who regained possession and pulled a goal back late in the game.
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The Brazilian Legend is back 🔙
𝐍𝐉🔟💙 @neymarjr pic.twitter.com/4IX5WRvNMW— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) October 21, 2024
Neymar moved to Saudi Arabia from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of about 90 million euros plus add-ons in August 2023. He had been sidelined for multiple months during his last two seasons with PSG due to an ankle injury.
Before his injury, Neymar had appeared in just five matches for the Saudi Arabian club, dealing with recurring muscle problems. His comeback brings a vital boost of star quality and attacking strength to Al-Hilal’s squad as they look to dominate in both domestic and continental tournaments.
Neymar’s heartfelt message ahead of return
Neymar Jr even wrote a message for his fans ahead of his return to the pitch in Al-Hilal’s clash against Al-Ain. He wrote: “Happy to be feeling this feeling again, butterflies in the stomach before a game are always great… may it be a healthy return! May God bless us and protect us.”
Feliz de estar sentindo este sentimento novamente, friozinho na barriga pré jogo é sempre muito bom .. que seja um retorno cheio de saúde!
Que Deus nos abençoe e nos proteja 🙏💙 pic.twitter.com/xADLA6mVlC— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) October 21, 2024
The forward is also expected to return to Brazil’s squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers in November. The Selecao will be facing Venezuela on November 14 and Uruguay on November 19.
