Neymar and Al-Hilal have agreed to mutually terminate the player’s contract, the club announced on Monday. The 32-year-old Brazilian joined the Saudi Arabian club in August 2023 in a high-profile transfer worth around €90 million ($98.5 million). However, his time at Al-Hilal has been marred by injuries, limiting him to only seven appearances so far. Neymar suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in October 2023, which sidelined him until October 2024. After returning, he played just two games before being unavailable again since November.
In a statement, the club thanked Neymar for his contributions during his brief time with Al-Hilal and wished him success in his future career. Neymar, who was one of the highest-profile players to join the Saudi league following Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, scored just one goal and provided two assists for the club.
Neymar, the world’s most expensive player following his $263 million move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, is reportedly set to return to his childhood club, Santos, where he began his career. The Brazil international, who holds the record as the all-time top scorer for the national team, left Santos in 2013 to join Barcelona, quickly becoming one of Brazil’s most exciting young talents. At Barcelona, Neymar won the Champions League and two La Liga titles, playing alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez in the famous ‘MSN’ attack.
In his time at Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar helped the club secure five Ligue 1 titles but was unable to lead them to their coveted Champions League victory.
Reports in Brazil suggest that Neymar’s return to Santos is imminent, potentially being finalized this week. Neymar first played for Santos’ senior team in 2009, and in 2011, he helped them win the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, by scoring in the final. Santos has recently returned to Brazil’s top-flight Serie A after earning promotion from Serie B in 2024.
