Tag: Neymar

Neymar on Tuesday extended his contract with Brazilian club Santos until the end of 2025, as he attempts to recapture his form in time for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

“I made a decision and I followed my heart. Santos is not just my team, it’s my home, my roots, my history, and my life,” the 33-year-old forward said in a statement from the club.

Neymar started his career at Santos before moving to Barcelona and then Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

After an injury-hit spell in Saudi Arabia, he returned to Santos in January on a contract that was due to expire on June 30.

The injury problems that restricted him to just seven matches in 17 months at Al-Hilal persisted.

He has played 12 matches in five months across all competitions for Santos, scoring three goals. In his last appearance in the domestic league, he was sent off for a second yellow card after scoring with his hand against Botafogo.

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After 12 matches in this season’s Brazilian championship, Santos are only clear of the relegation places on goal difference.

Since his return to Brazil, Neymar has drawn criticism for partying at the Rio Carnival and for appearing in the gimmicky seven-a-side Kings League while nursing injuries.

Neymar is the Brazil national team’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, two more than another Santos product, Pele, but his quest for a World Cup winner’s medal has repeatedly ended in disappointment.

Neymar was recalled to the Brazil squad in March for two World Cup qualifiers, but withdrew with a thigh injury.

In May, new coach Carlo Ancelotti left Neymar out of his first squad.

“I selected players who are in good shape. Neymar has just returned from injury, everyone knows he’s a very important player and we’re obviously counting on him,” said Ancelotti.

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Brazilian star Neymar signed a six-month contract with Santos, the club in his home country where he started his career, on Friday.

“The contract is for six months initially, but obviously we will do all we can that he remains with us,” Santos’s vice-president Fernando Bonavides told Canal SporTV.

“What we are hoping is that he remains with us until next year’s World Cup.”

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward returns to Santos after playing just seven times for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

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Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer, joined Al Hilal in August 2023, following fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Gulf.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action.

Neymar cut a contented figure as he was presented to fans in a ceremony at the club’s Estadio Urbano Caldeira, featuring concerts by several local music stars.

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Brazilian star Neymar on Monday ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in Saudi Arabia as his club, Al-Hilal said they had “agreed to terminate the player’s contract by mutual consent”.

“The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said a club statement posted on social media.

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward played just seven times since joining the club in August 2023, despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.

He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in October 2023, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He returned for Al Hilal with two brief appearances in October and November but injured a hamstring and has not played since. He said he is targeting the World Cup.

The club’s coach Jorge Jesus said recently: “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”

Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play in 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

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“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it,” he told CNN.

While Neymar had been courted by MLS teams in the United States, reports in Brazil said Santos, the club where Neymar made his name in his now-fading career, was in talks for him to return to his homeland.

A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.

At the start of his career, he was cast as the heir to Pele. After scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the young star of a team that also featured Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, which swept to the Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin.

A year later he scored the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil won the men’s football gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) prised him away from Barcelona with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).

He won five Ligue 1 titles and he and prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Champions League in the Covid-blighted 2019-2020, but they lost to Bayern Munich.

PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but the trio with Mbappe failed to gel as personal rivalries got in the way and he was pushed to the exit, and to Saudi Arabia, by the Parisian management in 2023.

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Brazilian star Neymar is in discussions about leaving his Saudi club Al-Hilal but his financial demands are holding up an agreement, a club source told AFP on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has had an injury-plagued stay in Saudi Arabia, playing just seven times despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

The source, who spoke on condition that he was not identified, said: “Neymar is discussing his departure with Al-Hilal but his high financial demands remain a major obstacle.”

Neymar is under contract with the Saudi Pro League club until June.

Reports in Brazil say Santos, the club where Neymar made his name in his now fading career, are in talks for him to return to his homeland but Al-Hilal would prefer a transfer while Neymar wants a loan deal.

Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.

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He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action for Al-Hilal.

The club’s coach Jorge Jesus said recently: “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”

A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.

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Brazil superstar Neymar returned to action on Monday following more than a year out, with the Al Hilal forward appearing as a second-half substitute in his side’s gripping 5-4 win against Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker, 32, had not played since rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October last year.

Neymar, who underwent surgery and a sustained period of rehabilitation, is his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances.

Named on the Hilal bench for the first time since his injury, he was introduced on 76 minutes of the Asian Champions Elite encounter at a heaving Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.

By then, the record four-time Asian champions, who lead the current Saudi Pro League, were 5-3 up, thanks to goals from Renan Lodi and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a Salem Al Dawsari hat-trick.

Neymar cannot be registered for the Saudi top flight until January.

“I need to prepare Neymar with games; that’s the only possible means to bring him to his level, which was the idea today,” Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said.

“There are some risks for the team because we need to use the games to prepare him, but it’s the only way to have one of our important players back at the highest level,” the Portuguese boss added.

On Monday, Hilal took the lead in 26 minutes, when former Newcastle United and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic played in Lodi down the left, and the ex-Atletico Madrid full-back drilled a low shot past Khalid Essa in the Al Ain goal.

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However, Hernan Crespo’s side drew level six minutes before half-time, Morocco international Soufiane Rahimi sliding home a cross.

Rahimi was the star of Al Ain’s Asian Champions League success last season, finishing top scorer and being named player of the tournament.

In first-half stoppage-time, Hilal seemed to take the contest away from their UAE rivals.

First, Joao Cancelo, a summer signing from Manchester City, crossed for Milinkovic-Savic to head home unmarked from six years. Moments later, reigning Asian Player of the Year Al Dawsari raced cleared of the Al Ain defence, skipped around the onrushing Essa and curled home superbly on the angle.

Al Ain reduced the deficit just after the hour, through substitute Mateo Sanabria, only for Al Dawsari to flick home his second of the night from a Milinkovic-Savic centre.

Minutes later, Rahimi notched his double as a see-saw clash took another swing. Al Dawsari then restored Hilal’s two-goal advantage with a sublime strike from range.

Not long into 12 minutes of the allotted injury time, and with Hilal reduced to 10 men after defender Ali Al Bulaihi was sent off for an intentional handball, Rahimi won and converted a penalty to secure his hat-trick and give Al Ain hope, but the Saudi champions hung on to claim the win.

Neymar had little time to truly impact the game, although he did flash wide an effort in the dying moments of normal time.

Hilal sit top of the Western region group, with three victories from three while Al Ain have picked up a solitary point.

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A stunning 85th-minute equalizer from Eduard Bello earned Venezuela a rare draw at Brazil while world champions Argentina made it three wins out of three in South American World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a hard-earned 1-0 win over a determined Paraguay on Thursday.

A third-minute goal from Nicolas Otamendi was just enough for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, with Lionel Messi coming off in the bench in the second half and hitting the woodwork twice.

Brazil have never lost to Venezuela in a competitive fixture and have only once before, in 2009, failed to beat the Vinotinto in World Cup qualifying, but they were left frustrated after Bello’s brilliant late leveller.

Brazil took the lead when Neymar had a shot pushed wide in the 49th minute and from the resulting corner, taken by the striker, Arsenal defender Gabriel rose at the near post to angle home a fine header.

The goal forced Venezuela into a more adventurous approach and Wilker Angel flashed a header just wide from a 62nd-minute corner.

Rodrygo then found himself in a great position in the box but the Real Madrid winger blasted his shot into the side netting.

With five minutes left, the home crowd in Cuiaba were left stunned when Jefferson Savarino whipped in a cross and Bello lept acrobatically to blast a spectacular overhead kick past Ederson.

The result leaves Brazil in second place in the 10-team World Cup qualifiers standings, two ahead of Colombia and two behind Argentina.

Messi’s fight for full fitness inevitably dominated the build-up to Argentina’s attempt to maintain their 100% record in the World Cup qualifiers and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner started on the bench with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez leading the attack.

But it was veteran defender Otamandi who provided the moment of attacking inspiration, meeting a Rodrigo De Paul corner with a brilliant volley at the back post.

Atletico Madrid midfielder De Paul went close to doubling the lead three minutes before the break when he struck the post and moments later Nicolas Gonzalez fired just wide.

Messi replaced Alvarez in the 53rd minute as Scaloni looked to break down a disciplined and well-organised Paraguay side but the woodwork foiled their talisman.

An inswinging corner from the right almost snuck in, but struck the post and then, after winning a free kick on the edge of the box, Messi curled his shot against the same post.

Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez struck a stoppage-time penalty as Uruguay fought back for a 2-2 draw with Colombia in Barranquilla and Ecuador got their first points with a last-gasp 2-1 win at Bolivia and Chile beat Peru 2-0.

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Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

“If we reach an agreement with him in the coming hours, we would start negotiating with PSG immediately. He would play for Al-Hilal if a deal is sealed,” said the source.

Neymar joined PSG for a record 220 million euros ($241m) from Barcelona in 2017. Some media reports on Sunday claimed that Al-Hilal would offer in the region $80 million for the Brazilian.

Last month Al-Hilal made a 300-million-euro bid for Kylian Mbappe, though the striker reportedly refused to meet with officials from the team.

Neymar underwent surgery on his right ankle in early March, only returning to join PSG on their pre-season tour of Asia.

His time at PSG has been blighted by a catalogue of injuries.

Although he helped the club to the 2020 Champions League final he has often been sidelined for key games.

If Neymar does end up moving to Saudi Arabia he will join a growing list of top players lured to the oil-rich kingdom since Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in January.

Al-Hilal have traditionally been one of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs and have been crowned Asian Champions League winners on four occasions.

They are coached by Portugal’s Jorge Jesus, who is in his second spell at the club, while the squad currently boasts four international players recently lured from Europe — Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Neymar’s Brazilian compatriot Malcom.

Neymar’s anticipated departure from PSG would follow that of Lionel Messi who now plays for Inter Miami in the United States.

In a sign of the growing impact of the Saudis in world football, Roberto Mancini was reported Sunday to be the man lined up to become the manager of the country’s national team after his shock resignation from European champions Italy.

It has been a rocky build-up to the new Ligue 1 season for champions PSG with both Mbappe and Neymar left out of new coach Luis Enrique’s team for Saturday’s underwhelming opening goalless draw against Lorient.

After being sidelined for several weeks amid an ongoing contract dispute Kylian Mbappe watched from the Parc des Princes stands.

But the club’s prize asset is now back in the fold, for the time being at least, said PSG on Sunday.

“After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in first team training this morning,” PSG said in a statement.

After a summer of flux at the Parc des Princes filled with new arrivals, doubts over Neymar’s future and Messi’s departure, it is the Kylian Mbappe stand-off that dominated the headlines.

The France captain has refused to sign an extension to his PSG deal, meaning he can leave for free next year, with Real Madrid long seen as his preferred destination.

Qatari-owned PSG want to sell him now and bring in a significant transfer fee for a player who cost 180 million euros from Monaco in 2017.

“The position is very clear. If Kylian wants to stay, he must sign a new contract. We can’t let the best player in the world today leave for free. It’s impossible,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said last month.

Kylian Mbappe had not been allowed to train with the first team and played only one of PSG’s five warm-up games and was not invited to the pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea.

He sat alongside fellow 2018 World Cup winner Ousmane Dembele, who completed his transfer from Barcelona earlier Saturday, as Luis Enrique handed debuts to six players against Lorient.

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PARIS: Neymar is set to be sidelined for the rest of the season after Paris Saint-Germain said on Monday the forward will undergo ankle surgery and be out of action for three to four months.

The Brazilian, who suffered the injury on February 19 against Lille in Ligue 1, “has had several episodes of instability in the right ankle in recent years,” said the club, adding that its medical staff “recommended a ligament repair operation” be undertaken in Doha.

PSG, still waiting for a maiden Champions League title, bid to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in the last 16 against Bayern Munich in Germany on Wednesday.

Neymar, who has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, was in fine form for the French champions before the World Cup break.

But the 31-year-old has netted only twice in eight league appearances since returning from Qatar, where Brazil were dumped out in the quarter-finals by Croatia.

Neymar has previously missed matches in the Champions League knock-out phase due to injuries in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

PARIS: Neymar will miss his second straight game for Paris Saint-Germain after being ruled out of Saturday’s match at home to Toulouse because of a groin problem, the club announced.

The Brazilian has been receiving treatment and training individually this week. He sat out Wednesday’s 3-1 victory in Montpellier, in which Kylian Mbappe picked up a thigh injury.

Mbappe faces three weeks on the sidelines and will be unavailable for the first leg of PSG’s Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich on February 14.

Neymar is expected to resume full training next week, as is Sergio Ramos who also came off against Montpellier after suffering a groin strain.

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