Neymar will no longer play in the Saudi Pro League after Al-Hilal decided against registering him for the second half of the season. Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus said that Neymar can still play in the Asian Champions League. Neymar made the switch to Al-Hilal during the summer of 2023 from PSG for big money.
❌ Neymar will NOT be registered for second-half of Saudi Pro League.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 17, 2025
Jorge Jesus: “Ney will not be registered, but he can participate in the Asian Champions League”.
“He’s world class. But the truth is, physically, Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to”. pic.twitter.com/e7YFqVNF3k
In a post-match interview on January 16, Jesus revealed that Neymar won't be registered for the Saudi championship, but will be allowed to participate in the Asian Champions League. He said, "Neymar will not be registered in the team for the championship. He can participate in the Asian Champions League. The Saudi League is one of the best leagues in the world. All Al Hilal players can play for any club in Europe. When he was about to return, he got injured again,"
The Al-Hilal boss feels physically, things have got difficult for Neymar following his injury. He added, "He is a player who leaves no doubt, a world-class player. But the truth is that physically, Neymar can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately,"
Neymar journey with Al Hilal
Since his move to Al-Hilal, Neymar has just played 7 games and has scored just a goal and got 3 assists. The Brazilian suffered an ACL injury during an international match against Uruguay in October 2023 and ended up not playing the season for Al-Hilal.
He would make his return to the side in October 2024 but picked up a hamstring injury soon after and is still recovering from it. Neymar has hinted that he would like to have a reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami and claimed that the 2026 World Cup would be his last one.