The Saudi club Al Hilal announced on Monday night the termination of their player Neymar's contract, seemingly paving the way for his return to Brazilian football.
"Al Hilal and Neymar have decided to mutually terminate their contractual relationship," announced Al Hilal in a message shared on their English social media account X, accompanied by images of the forward and a message in Portuguese: "Obrigado e Boa Sorte" (Thank you and good luck).
With this brief statement, the Saudi club bid farewell to the Brazilian star after two seasons and only seven matches.
The forward, who will turn 33 in February, only played seven matches with Al Hilal since joining the Saudi team in August 2023.
The Brazilian national team's number 10 had a contract in place until mid-year, but has decided to end his Arabian football adventure after Al Hilal's coach, Portuguese Jorge Jesus, did not include him in the Saudi League.
Neymar has been practically inactive for over a year. On October 17, 2023, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a match between Brazil and Uruguay in Montevideo.
He made a comeback on October 21, 2024, in an Asian Champions League match. However, shortly after, he suffered a muscle injury that forced him to stop playing again.
For weeks, the sports media had been speculating about the future of the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona player until last week when the Brazilian press revealed that Neymar had reached an agreement to return to Santos, his childhood team.
At Santos, between 2009 and 2013, he played 225 matches, scored 135 goals, and won several important titles wearing the black and white jersey, including a Copa Libertadores and a Copa de Brasil.
He then moved to Europe with FC Barcelona. There, he continued to grow alongside Messi and added more titles to his record: the UEFA Champions League, two Spanish La Liga titles, and three Copa del Rey titles, among others.
In 2017, unexpectedly, he made a radical career change and signed with PSG, who paid 222 million euros (now around 230 million dollars) to include him in their 'galactic' project. In 2020, he reached another 'Champions' final but was defeated by Bayern Munich.
From then on, he suffered a series of serious injuries and off-field scandals that pushed him to the sidelines of the global football elite.
In 2023, with no prospects following the arrival of Spanish coach Luis Enrique at PSG, he packed his bags and joined the Saudi Arabian millionaire project, where his star continued to fade. Now, at Santos, he hopes to regain his lost shine with his sights set on the 2026 United States, Canada, and Mexico World Cup.