'Can happen to anyone' - Saudi Pro League chief assures Neymar he 'wasn't a disappointment' at Al-Hilal despite only scoring one goal across two injury-plagued seasons

Neymar endured a nightmare journey in the Saudi Pro League following his high-profile move from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023. After appearing in just five matches in the 2023-24 campaign, the Brazilian suffered an ACL injury while on national team duty and was sidelined for more than a year. He returned to action for Al-Hilal in October 2024 but subsequently picked up yet another injury limiting his appearances to just two AFC Champions League matches in the 2024-25 season. In January 2025, the forward mutually terminated his contract with the Saudi champions and headed back to his homeland to sign for boyhood club Santos.

While many consider the 33-year-old's move to the Middle East a complete disaster, the Saudi Pro League's general manager of marketing communications, Basrawi, assured Neymar that his time in Saudi Arabia was not a disappointment as injuries are part of football.

Speaking to Marca, the Saudi official said: "Neymar came and went, and of course, he took many fans with him, who still follow him personally. But it wasn't a disappointment. What happened with Neymar is football, that's all. Injuries can happen. It was a serious injury at the start of his contract, and that can happen to anyone. We would have liked him to have played more, but that's football."

Injuries continue to haunt the Brazil international as he has picked up a new thigh injury. Neymar was supposed to don the Selecao shirt after an 18-month hiatus in the March international break, however, his return to the national team has now been delayed.