Brazilian football star Neymar made his long-awaited return to competitive play on Monday, appearing as a second-half substitute in Al Hilal’s thrilling 5-4 victory over Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE. Neymar had been sidelined for over a year due to a severe knee injury sustained while on international duty in October 2022, which required surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
The 32-year-old forward, recognized as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, took the field at the 76-minute mark during the Asian Champions Elite match at the Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium. At that point, Al Hilal was leading 5-3, with key contributions from Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a hat-trick from Salem Al Dawsari.
Although Neymar is not eligible to play in the Saudi Pro League until January, Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus expressed the need to integrate him back into competitive form gradually. “I need to prepare Neymar with games; that’s the only way to bring him back to his level,” the coach stated.
The match saw Al Hilal take an early lead with a goal from Lodi, following an assist from Aleksandar Mitrovic. Al Ain equalized shortly before half-time through Soufiane Rahimi, who was instrumental in their successful Asian Champions League campaign the previous season.
The game intensified in the first half with Al Hilal scoring two late goals to take a decisive lead, only for Al Ain to respond after the break. Despite a late push from Al Ain, including a penalty from Rahimi that secured his hat-trick, Al Hilal managed to hold on for the victory.
Neymar’s limited playtime meant he was unable to significantly influence the match, though he did have a chance late in the game. With this win, Al Hilal remains undefeated at the top of their group, while Al Ain struggles with just one point from their matches.