Neymar has signed a two-year contract at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal after six years with Paris St Germain in which the Brazil forward won several domestic trophies but not the Champions League the club craves.
No financial details were disclosed on Tuesday but the fee was reported to be about 90 million euros ($98.24 million) plus add-ons and subject to a medical for the 31-year-old.
French newspaper L’Equipe said the deal could net Neymar 160 million euros.
Saudi Professional League (SPL) club Al-Hilal announced that Neymar had signed a contract until 2025, with the Brazilian saying, “I am here in Saudi Arabia, I am Hilali” in a video on the team’s social media accounts.
“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said after signing the contract on Tuesday in Paris.
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“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment.
“I have heard a lot and learned that I am following a long list of Brazilian players who have played in Saudi Arabia over the years, so I believe it is the desired place.
“I love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”
RECORD FEE
Neymar joined PSG in 2017 from Barcelona for a world record fee of 222 million euros. He scored 118 goals in 173 appearances for the Paris club and won numerous trophies, including five Ligue 1 titles.
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Neymar won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 but had to settle for a runners-up medal in the 2020 final, which PSG lost to Bayern Munich.
[1/4]Soccer Football – Neymar signs for Al Hilal – Paris, France – August 15, 2023 Al Hilal’s new signing Neymar poses in their shirt after signing Al Hilal Sports Club/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing Rights
“It is inevitably difficult to say goodbye to a club legend, which Neymar will always be,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a club statement.
“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, nor what he has brought to our club and our project over the last six years.
“We’ve had some extraordinary moments and Neymar will always be part of our history. I would like to thank him and his family.”
Neymar has also played 124 times for Brazil, scoring 77 goals – a joint-record alongside three-time World Cup winner Pele. He was part of the Brazil team which won the Confederations Cup in 2013.
SAUDI TRANSFERS
The most successful club in Saudi Arabia and Asia, Al-Hilal have won 66 trophies and hold the record for number of league and Asian Champions League titles with 18 and four respectively.
Strengthening the squad is a priority for the Riyadh-based club after the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced in June an investment and privatisation project for sports clubs involving league champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.
The Saudi Pro League season kicked off on Friday after spending close to half a billion dollars luring a host of top players and coaches from European sides.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr last season soon after the Qatar World Cup in a deal which made him the highest-paid athlete on the planet, while Al-Ittihad signed French striker Karim Benzema from Real Madrid.
UEFA Champions League winners Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy and Roberto Firmino have all signed for Al-Ahli.
Al-Hilal also tried to sign Neymar’s former team mates France striker Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, but the Argentine eventually opted for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.
Real Madrid will be aiming to bounce back from a heavy defeat in El Clasico when they continue their 2024-25 Champions League campaign with a contest against Italian giants, AC Milan, on today.
Los Blancos have picked up six points from their three European matches this season to occupy 12th in the Champions League table, while Milan have collected three points from their opening three games to sit in 25th position.
Real Madrid will be well-rested heading into their European contest with Milan, as their La Liga contest with Valencia, which was due to take place on Saturday night, was postponed due to the devastating floods in Spain.
As a result, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have not been in action since their 4-0 loss to Barcelona on October 26, and are nine points off the top of the La Liga table after Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Espanyol Sunday evening.
Real Madrid must put league matters aside for the moment, though, and fully focus on the Champions League, with the reigning European champions bidding to move onto nine points in the Champions League table.
Ancelotti’s team have beaten Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund in the competition this season, but they lost in Lille last month, and a total of six points from three matches has left them in 12th spot, one point behind eighth-placed Sporting Lisbon.
Los Blancos are yet to hit full flow this season and have now lost two of their last five matches in all competitions, but they will be expecting to record two wins over Milan and Osasuna ahead of the November international break.
Real Madrid have faced Milan on 15 previous occasions, with both sides posting six wins, but this will be the first meeting between the two sides since the group stage of the 2010-11 Champions League.
Milan have only ever won once at Bernabeu, which came in the group stage of the 2009- 10 Champions League, and the most famous meeting between the two sides took place in the final of the 1958 European Cup, with Real Madrid recording a 3-2 victory.
The last six meetings between the two sides have taken place in the group stage of the Champions League, with Milan posting two wins during that period, and the Italian giants will be aiming to secure an upset on Tuesday night.
The Red and Blacks lost their opening two matches in the league phase of this season’s competition to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, before recording a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge last time out, a total of three points from three matches has left them in 25th spot.
Paulo Fonseca’s side will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 victory over Monza on Saturday, with the team bouncing back from their 2-0 home defeat to Napoli at the end of last month.
Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are set to feature as the front two, but Luka Modric may be given the nod over Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of midfield, with Ancelotti wanting more control in that area of the field.
Rafael Leao started from the bench against Monza, with the attacker only managing one goal during a disappointing start to the campaign, but Fonseca has hinted that the Portugal international will be in the XI against Real Madrid.
Emerson Royal and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are also expected to earn recalls following the clash with Monza, while there should be a spot at centre-forward for former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Accra Sports Stadium to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Ghana and Sudan.
The Black Stars face the Falcons of Jediane on match day three of the qualifying series for the tournament to be hosted in Morocco.
Prior to the approval, CAF had directed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to select an alternative venue for the game after the temporary approval of the Baba Yara Stadium was lifted.
CAF inspected both the Cape Coast Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium last week before eventually turning down the former.
A statement from CAF on the approval read:
‘’Following a comprehensive review of the reports of the CAF independent inspection regarding the Cape Coast and Accra Sports Stadia, we are pleased to inform you that the Accra Sports Stadium has been approved to host the AFCON Qualifiers for Morocco 2025. Specifically, it will host the Group F – Matchday 3 encounter between Ghana and Sudan, which is scheduled for October 11, 2024.
“In light of this approval, we kindly request that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the stadium management team prioritise the necessary enhancements to the pitch and other critical areas of the stadium leading up to the match day to ensure an optimal experience for both teams and the attending fans.
“Please note that CAF will continue to closely monitor the readiness of the stadium for this match, as well as for future CAF-sanctioned events.”
The Black Stars are hoping to get their qualifying campaign back on track after failing to win any of their opening two games against Angola and Niger.
This fixture is scheduled for Friday, October 11, 2024.
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he is no longer focused on being the best player in the world or chasing records.
Instead, the 39-year-old Portuguese star emphasised his desire to help his team and enjoy the game.
Speaking after Al-Nassr’s 2-1 AFC Champions League win against Al-Rayyan, where he scored his 904th career goal, Ronaldo reflected on his current priorities.
“It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that,” Ronaldo said. “I am used to breaking records, and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my team-mates to win.”
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United, has already left an indelible mark in Saudi football, setting a new league scoring record with 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League last season.
Despite his personal achievements, Ronaldo’s focus now seems to have shifted towards his team’s success rather than individual accolades.
Looking ahead, Ronaldo hinted that he could retire with Al-Nassr, stating in August, “I don’t know if I will retire soon, in two or three years, but probably I will retire here at Al-Nassr.”
While Cristiano Ronaldo has helped Al-Nassr lift the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, he has yet to secure domestic or continental silverware with the club.
Despite this, the Portuguese legend has set a personal target of reaching 1,000 career goals before hanging up his boots.
