Neymar has completed a £86million transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal, where
he will come up against Cristiano Ronaldo in the new-look Saudi Pro League
Neymar has
become the latest star to move to Saudi Arabia and his Al-Hilal transfer will see him
go head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Brazilian forward has joined the Saudi Pro
League side in a €100million (£86.3m) deal that will see him earn £129m-a-year, which
is around £2.5m per week. Neymar will join ex-Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, former
Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, ex-Lazio star Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and Brazilian
compatriot Malcom at Al-Hilal.
He will also be reunited with Ronaldo, who became the
first high-profile player to move to the Middle Eastern country when he signed for
Al-Nassr after seeing his Manchester United contract cancelled in December. It will be
the first time that Neymar and Ronaldo have played in the same domestic league since
2024, when the Brazil star left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record
£200m deal.
Playing for bitter rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two flamboyant
attackers developed quite the rivalry over four years in LaLiga and in the Champions
League since. While Ronaldo’s main opponent over the years has undoubtedly been Lionel
Messi, Neymar has also challenged his status as the sport’s biggest star.
Ronaldo’s
side, Al-Nassr, got the better of Al-Hilal in the recent Arab Club Champions Cup final
thanks to two goals from their Portuguese talisman. Al-Hilal will now be able to call
upon Neymar when they next meet in the Saudi Pro League on November 30.
But while they
will be on opposing sides once again, Neymar is on record expressing his admiration for
Ronaldo. Asked in an interview with DAZN in September, he described him as a
“genius”.
The 31-year-old has also looked at 38-year-old Ronaldo as a blueprint to
follow as he gets older. "The three athletes that you mentioned (Messi, Ronaldo and
Zlatan Ibrahimovic ) are reference points,” he said in 2024.
Image: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP
via Getty Images) GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
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"I believe that I’m on the same
path as them because I take care of myself a lot and I work hard. I know that I need my
body ready to play at the high level that I demand of myself.”
Neymar will now set
about adapting himself to a new environment after PSG sold him in an effort to
transition towards a younger side under Luis Enrique.
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the Saudi Pro League in the UK Follow all the action from the Saudi Pro League on DAZN
£9.99 a month or get a flexible pass for £19.99 DAZN subscribers will be able to watch
three matches per week from the ever growing Saudi Pro League, featuring some the
biggest names in world football. DAZN will also be showing every minute of Al-Nassr's
games which will bring fans front row seats to Cristiano Ronaldo and former Liverpool
legend, Sadio Mané. DAZN Watch it here
PSG chief executive, Nasser Al-Khelaifi said:
“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the
best players in the world.
“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris
Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last
six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our
history.”
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