Neymar returns to Santos: salary, playing time… the mind-blowing figures of the Brazilian's brief stint in Saudi Arabia

Neymar had made his return from a long injury on October 21, 2024, during the Al-Ain vs. Al-Hilal match. MAXPPP – ALI HAIDER

The Brazilian's training club announced the return of its prodigy on Tuesday, January 28, marking the end of Neymar's adventure at Al-Hilal. Suffering a serious injury shortly after his arrival in Saudi Arabia, the former Paris Saint-Germain player will have played only seven games in a year and a half. A look back at a financial fiasco that will have cost the Saudi club dearly.

The most expensive player in football history, Brazilian Neymar is renowned for a great career made up of record numbers. Far too often off the football pitch. After leaving Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 for €90 million, he joined Saudi club Al-Hilal in a booming league, alongside other football stars such as Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. The transaction is added to a pharaonic contract of €100 million per season, tying him to the club until 2025.

Seven games in a year and a half

Nevertheless, the big “coup”made by the club from the Saudi capital quickly turned into a failure. Upon his arrival, he could not be fielded on the pitch, due to muscle discomfort. Worse still, he suffered a rupture of the cruciate ligaments in his left knee during an international match he played with the Seleçao, on October 17, 2023. The Brazilian then only played five matches with Al-Hilal, 387 minutes and only scored one goal and provided three assists.

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Away from the pitch for almost a year, he made his return on October 21, 2024, participating in his team's victory against Al-Ain (5-4) by entering the game in the 77th minute of play. It would be necessary to wait two weeks again to see the 32-year-old player on the pitch again. On November 4, he came on just before the hour mark against Iranian club Esteghlal FC. Neymar would not finish the match, having come off injured before the end of regulation time.

A €280 million adventure

The Brazilian striker will no longer be seen in the Saudi jersey, which he will have worn for 431 minutes since his arrival in August 2023. This is when the record of the former PSG number 10 causes a sensation. Beyond porous statistics, the 32-year-old striker will have cost his club Al-Hilal 280 million euros, according to the daily newspaper l'Équipe: 90 million euros in transfer fees, which are added to the 190 million euros of his salary received in Saudi Arabia during these two years. The Brazilian agreed to give up 10 million euros in salary on his contract binding him until the end of the season.

Each minute played by Neymar in the blue colours of Al-Hilal will have cost the Saudi club nearly 650,000 euros, or around 11,000 euros per second. Figures that quickly make your head spin. All this, without counting the many benefits offered to the player by his club.

By mutual agreement, Neymar ended his adventure with the Al-Hilal club on January 27. The next day, the Brazilian club Santos announced the arrival of the striker on X.

Back to where it all began for the Brazilian, who hopes to find his magic that made fans around the world dream so much, leading him to the heights of world football, between FC Barcelona, ​​PSG and the Brazilian national team.