Neymar's Saudi Chapter: World Cup Dreams, Injuries, and a Brazil-Built Sports City Plan
9 January 2026
Neymar's Saudi Chapter and a Brazil-Built Dream City
Brazilian football magician Neymar da Silva, the former Santos star, speaks about his memorable stint with Al Hilal Saudi and hints at a post-football venture.
Neymar joined Al Hilal in the summer of 2023, moving from Paris Saint-Germain for 90 million euros, but injuries—a cruciate ligament tear and a secondary muscle issue—led to his exit in early 2025.
In an interview on the show "In the Net," he said, "Although I was injured and didn’t play much, I’m happy with the experience, because I gained valuable lessons and met new people and cultures."
He added, "Al Hilal is a big club; I used to root for it in the Club World Cup and wished it would win, but unfortunately it couldn’t reach the quarterfinals."
On living in Saudi Arabia, Neymar noted, "I spent wonderful times; my family felt happy in Riyadh, and I was surrounded by a great group of people."
He said, "I still stay in touch with some Al Hilal stars today, such as Mohammed Kanno and Ali Al-Bulayhi, as well as Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergio Milinkovic-Savic, and Malcolm de Oliveira."
Asked about a possible return to Saudi football, Neymar replied, "I don’t think so, but I will return as an investor, because Saudi Arabia is a beautiful country and my family felt calm there."
Looking ahead, he described his future project: "It involves creating a multi-activity sports city in Brazil."
Then he concluded, "There is a strong plan to repeat the same project in Saudi Arabia, but only after finishing the current Brazil project."
Punchlines: If this plan crashes, Neymar will simply pivot to real estate—goalposts, mortgages, and all. If it succeeds, we’ll be first in line for the grand opening: a stadium, a snack bar, and a perfectly dotted line of jokes about it.
