Brazilian football star Neymar made his long-awaited return to the pitch on Monday after being sidelined for over a year. The Al Hilal forward entered the game as a second-half substitute during an intense encounter, where his team triumphed 5-4 against Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE.
The 32-year-old had not played since suffering serious injuries, including a ruptured meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, while representing Brazil in October of the previous year. After undergoing surgery and an extensive rehabilitation process, Neymar, who holds the record as his country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 matches, was keen to contribute to his team’s efforts.
In his first appearance since the injury, Neymar was benched until the 76th minute of the Asian Champions Elite match held at the buzzing Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain. At that point, Al Hilal, who currently lead the Saudi Pro League, had a 5-3 advantage, thanks to contributions from Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a hat-trick from Salem Al Dawsari.
However, Neymar is not eligible to play in the Saudi Pro League until January. Al Hilal’s coach, Jorge Jesus, emphasized the importance of integrating Neymar back into the team through match play, stating that it is essential for bringing him back to his peak form.
The match began with Hilal taking the lead in the 26th minute when Aleksandar Mitrovic assisted Renan Lodi, who scored with a low shot. Al Ain equalized just before halftime with a goal from Soufiane Rahimi, who was a standout player in their Asian Champions League victory last season.
In injury time of the first half, Hilal surged ahead with goals from Milinkovic-Savic and Al Dawsari, who displayed impressive skill to evade the Al Ain goalkeeper. Despite Al Ain reducing the score margin in the second half, Al Dawsari quickly extended Hilal’s lead again.
As the match neared its conclusion, Al Ain narrowed the gap with a penalty scored by Rahimi, who achieved a hat-trick, but Hilal managed to hold on for the victory despite being reduced to ten players after a red card for Ali Al Bulaihi.
Although Neymar’s impact was limited and he narrowly missed a shot towards the end, his comeback marks a significant milestone in his career. Currently, Al Hilal tops the Western region group with three wins from three matches, while Al Ain has secured only one point so far.