Neymar made his long-awaited comeback to professional football on Monday night, featuring in the latter stages of Al Hilal’s AFC Champions League clash with Al Ain. This marked his return to action 370 days after suffering a devastating ACL injury. The Brazilian forward tore his knee ligament while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, just two months after joining Al Hilal in a high-profile €90m (£77.6m) transfer.
The injury cut short his debut season with the Saudi club, during which he made five appearances and scored once. Over a year later, Neymar was finally back on the field.
The 32-year-old came on in the 77th minute of a thrilling group stage match that saw Al Hilal secure a 5-4 win. Neymar spent most of his time on the sidelines watching teammate Salem Al Dawsari complete his hat-trick, putting the visitors in a strong 5-3 position. Neymar eventually replaced Nasser Al-Dawsari, coming on with 13 minutes to play.
Shortly after Neymar’s introduction, Al Hilal’s Ali Al Bulayhi was sent off, leaving the team with ten men for the remainder of the match. Neymar was instrumental in a late counter-attack, exchanging passes with Aleksandar Mitrovic before unleashing a left-footed shot. Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa managed to make a fine save to keep Neymar from scoring on his return.
Although Al Ain pulled a goal back in stoppage time to make it 5-4, Al Hilal held on for the victory. Neymar expressed his delight after the match, saying, “I feel good… I always have a good team. I’m so happy. I’m back! I’m back!” His brief appearance marked a significant milestone in his recovery after a difficult year away from the game.
While Neymar can play in the AFC Champions League, his return to domestic competition will be delayed until January due to Al Hilal having already filled their quota of foreign players. Saudi league rules permit only eight non-Saudi players born after 2003 to be included in each squad.
Neymar’s focus now shifts to continuing his involvement in continental matches. Al Hilal will face Iranian side Esteghlal FC on November 4 in their next AFC Champions League fixture. The Brazilian superstar could also be called up for Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers next month, with matches against Venezuela and Uruguay. Facing Uruguay would be especially poignant for Neymar, as it was against them that he suffered the ACL injury that sidelined him for more than a year.
[wpupg-grid id=articles]