After spending six years with Paris St. Germain, where he won multiple domestic championships but failed to bring home the Champions League that the club so desperately wants, Neymar has agreed to a two-year contract with Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia.
Neymar joins Saudi club Al-Hilal: Although no financial information was provided on Tuesday, it was reported that the charge for the 31-year-old would be around 90 million euros ($98.24 million), plus add-ons.
The transaction, according to the French daily L’Equipe, may bring Neymar 160 million euros.
In a video sent to the team’s social media channels, the Brazilian said, “I am here in Saudi Arabia, I am Hilali,” as Al-Hilal of the Saudi Professional League (SPL) announced that Neymar had signed a deal through 2025.
After committing to the contract on Tuesday in Paris, Neymar stated, “I have accomplished a lot in Europe and had wonderful times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and push myself with new opportunities and difficulties in new places.
“I want to create new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League right now has top-notch athletes and a tonne of energy.
“I have heard a lot about Saudi Arabia and discovered that I am following a long list of Brazilian athletes who have competed there over the years, so I think it is the ideal location.
Further, “I enjoy scoring goals and winning games, and I intend to do that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”
RECORD FEE
Neymar transferred from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 for a record-breaking 222 million euros. In 173 games for the Paris club, he scored 118 goals and claimed various awards, including five Ligue 1 championships.
Neymar won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015, but the 2020 final, which PSG lost to Bayern Munich, only earned him a runners-up trophy.
Neymar will always be a club legend, therefore saying goodbye to him is unavoidably difficult, according to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
“I will never forget the day he joined Paris Saint-Germain or the contributions he has made over the past six years to our team and our project.
“Neymar will always be a part of our history, and we’ve had some extraordinary times. Please accept my gratitude for him and his family.
In 124 matches for Brazil, Neymar has also scored 77 goals, which ties Pele’s record of three World Cup victories. He participated in the 2013 Confederations Cup-winning Brazil squad.
TRANSFERS FROM SAUDI
Al-Hilal, the most successful team in Asia and Saudi Arabia, has won 66 trophies and the most league and Asian Champions League titles (18 and 4 respectively).
After the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced in June an investment and privatisation programme for sports clubs involving league champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal, strengthening the team is a priority for the Riyadh-based club.
After spent nearly $500 million attracting a number of elite players and coaches from European teams, the Saudi Pro League season began on Friday.
Last season, shortly after the Qatar World Cup, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr, making him the highest-paid athlete on earth. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad acquired French striker Karim Benzema from Real Madrid.
Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, and Roberto Firmino—all UEFA Champions League champions—have all joined Al-Ahli.
Lionel Messi and France forward Kylian Mbappe were reportedly targets for Al-Hilal, but the Argentine ultimately chose Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.