Brazil star Neymar has ended a hugely disappointing 18-month spell in Saudi Arabia after Al Hilal decided to cut their losses on the injury-plagued forward.
The 32-year-old joined the Saudi champions in a high-profile $94 million move from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 but has made just seven appearances for the club – three in the Saudi Pro League and four in the AFC Champions League.
On Monday night Al Hilal said they had “agreed to terminate the player's contract by mutual consent”, with Neymar expected to finalise a return to Santos where he began his career in his homeland.
“The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said the club in a statement posted on social media.
The former Barcelona and PSG forward scored just one goal and created two more, a meagre return for a reported salary of $104 million per season.
Neymar was previously the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of $229 million.
After his stint in French football he followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the kingdom at a time of rapid expansion in Saudi football.
He arrived carrying an injury from his PSG days but recovered to make his debut as he provided two assists in a 6-1 league win over Al Riyadh on September 15, 2023.
However, just two months after his arrival in Riyadh he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier and spent a year on the sidelines.
He returned for Hilal with two substitute appearances in late 2024 – including a cameo in a nine-goal thriller against UAE club Al Ain – but damaged his hamstring against Esteghlal in an Asian Champions League match on November 4 and has not played since.
Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said this month: "[Neymar] can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play for his country in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it,” he told CNN.
Neymar has been targeted by MLS teams, including the David Beckham-owned Inter Miami who considered reuniting him with his former Barca teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and also the Chicago Fire.
However, a return to boyhood club Santos seems imminent. A move back to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.
At the start of his career he was hailed as the new Pele. After scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the rising star of a team that swept to the Uefa Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in Berlin.
A year later he scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out as Brazil won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics before his record-breaking switch to PSG a year later.
He won five Ligue 1 titles and alongside prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Uefa Champions League in 2020, but they lost to Bayern Munich in the final.
PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but along with Mbappe, the trio failed to gel and he was sold to Hilal in 2023.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
