- Neymar Jr (real name: Neymar da Silva Santos Jรบnior) has parted ways with Al-Hilal after a short-lived yet expensive tenure as the Saudi Pro League championsโ absentee star.
- The 32-year-old phenom sustained a knee injury in late 2023 during Brazilโs World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, and has struggled to get back on form ever since.
- Neymar defected from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal on a reported transfer fee of โฌ90 million, along with an annual salary of โฌ150 million (six times what he was earning at PSG).
18 injury-prone months into his stint at the Saudi Pro League, Neymar and Al-Hilal have mutually agreed to terminate their headline-making contract.
The Brazilian โPrince who never became Kingโ left Europe on a reported transfer fee of โฌ90 million ($145 million) โ and pocketed an eye-watering annual salary of โฌ150 million ($250 million) โ bringing the total cost for his seven appearances and solitary goal to approximately โฌ315 million ($525 million). Which certainly doesnโt seem like the greatest investment for Al-Hilal.
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Of course, Neymar didnโt just enjoy an enviable salary. According to Foot Mercato, the star forwardโs two-year agreement also included the following bonuses:
- A private jet entirely at his disposal
- The obligatory mansion and his own personal staff โ similar to Cristiano Ronaldoโs arrangement, he was able to live with his girlfriend Bruna Biancardi despite not being married (something prohibited by Saudi law)
- An additional โฌ80,000 ($135,000) for every Al-Hilal win
- And perhaps the most insane of them all: โฌ500,000 ($840,000) for every social media post or story promoting Saudi Arabia
The revelation of these perks came to light shortly after Al-Hilalโs unsuccessful US$1.1 billion (AU$1.6 billion) bid for Neymarโs PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe. Yet another stark reminder that Saudi / oil money does indeed hit different.
Neymar joined the Riyadh-based franchise at a time when international superstars were actively defecting from Europe to play for the Saudi Pro League, namely:
- Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Manchester United to play for Al-Nassr under a โฌ200 million contract
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid to Al-Ittihad)
- NโGolo Kante (Chelsea to Al-Ittihad)
- Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich to Al-Nassr)
- Roberto Firmino (Liverpool to Al-Ahli)
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But given what the Saudi Pro League is apparently willing to pay for top talent โ despite how little they actually played โ these names certainly wonโt be the last.
As for what the future holds for Neymar, while heโs been courted by MLS teams, current reports indicate he plans on returning to his childhood club Santos, where the Brazilian youngster made a name for himself before signing with Barcelona in 2013.
