Brazilian striker Neymar has announced his return to collective training with Saudi club Al-Hilal, after almost a year of interruption due to a serious left knee injury. The 32-year-old joined Al-Hilal in August 2023 from Paris SG, but he injured his cruciate ligament and meniscus on October 17 with Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay. “I’m happy to be back in the group,” Neymar wrote in Portuguese on his Instagram account where he posted photos of himself on the pitch with his teammates, under the gaze of Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus. The player had already returned to individual training in July. His official return “depends on his technical preparation and the coach’s decision,” a club official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Al-Hilal has not yet included Neymar in the list of participants in the Saudi championship, which began in August, but he is in that of the Asian Championship. The absence of the Brazilian star, paid around 100 million euros per season according to the media, did not affect the results of Al Hilal, who won the national championship last season, and established a historic series of 34 consecutive victories in different competitions.
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