Brazilian forward Neymar has returned to the playing fields after more than a year of injury.
22:07•Updated 22:12
Neymar, 32, came on as a substitute in the Saudi Arabian soccer league in the 77th minute of the match, returning to action 369 days after badly injuring his knee in a national team shirt.
Al-Hilal, represented by Neymar, beat Al-A 5-4 in a nine-goal celebration on Monday. When Neymar entered the field, Al-Hilal led the game 5–3.
The star forward had not played since October 2023 last year after suffering a serious knee injury in Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Neymar’s left knee tore the anterior cruciate ligament, which was operated on. The recovery prognosis for these injuries is usually less than a year.
The Saudi Arabian club acquired Neymar from PSG in the summer of 2023 for 90 million euros. The forward only managed to play five matches in his new club before his knee injury.
The luminous top player is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, which he has completed in 128 international matches.