Neymar to Al-Hilal: The Worst Transfer in Football History?
After suffering yet another injury setback, Neymar’s transfer to Al-Hilal has taken a sharp turn for the worse, leaving the Brazilian star with an uncertain future.
Neymar has seen both highs and lows throughout his professional career. Ronaldo himself lauded Neymar’s achievements after he beat Ronaldo Nazario on Brazil’s all-time scoring list in 2020 with a hat-trick against Peru: “The sky is the limit.” Fly now, my boy. What a lovely tale you are crafting. Due to injuries that have marred the latter years of his career, the story has taken a different turn four years later.
Paris to Riyadh: A Dangerous Decision
Recurrent injuries had marred Neymar’s Paris Saint-Germain career by 2023, so the French team was eager to let him go when Al-Hilal made a bid of €90 million (£77.2m/$98.3m). Both Neymar and the Saudi Pro League team took a risk with the transfer, and it hasn’t paid off yet.
Although he has scored 79 goals, making him Brazil’s all-time greatest scorer, Neymar hasn’t scored for his country since breaking Pele’s record in September 2023. A month after this momentous accomplishment, he was serving overseas when he sustained an ACL tear, a setback so serious that it was said he contemplated retirement.
A Brief Recurrence
Neymar’s comeback to football was brief; he played in just two games before getting hurt again. Al-Hilal’s substantial investment in the 32-year-old is in danger of becoming a sunk cost as a result of this most recent setback, leaving them in a vulnerable position. It appears more and more unlikely that Neymar will “fly” at the highest level again.
