Neymar plays competitive match for the first time in a year
Al Hilal forward Neymar has made his long-awaited return to competitive action after a year on the sidelines.
The 32-year-old Brazilian came on as a substitute for Nasser Al-Dawsari in the 77th minute during the third round of the Asian Champions League group stage against UAE's Al Ain.
Neymar had been out of action since October of last year due to a cruciate ligament knee injury, which sidelined the winger for 369 days.
Al Hilal led Al Ain 5-3 away by the 94th minute. For the home side, Soufiane Rahimi scored twice (39th and 67th minutes), with Mateo Sanabria adding another (63'). In response, Salem Al-Dawsari netted a hat-trick (45+5', 65', 75') for the Saudi club, while Renan Lodi (26') and Sergej Milinković-Savić (45+2') added to their tally. The referees added 12 minutes of stoppage time to the second half.
Neymar transferred to Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for €90 million. So far, the forward has made five appearances for the Riyadh-based team, scoring one goal and providing three assists.
The Brazilian's contract with the Saudi club is set to run until the summer of 2025.
