🚨Impressionante! Estreia de Neymar no Al Hilal Deixa o Mundo de Queixo Caído🔥
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Brazilian star Neymar has finally made his return to the football pitch after over a year out with an ACL injury.
The 32-year-old joined Public Investment Fund (PIF) owned Al-Hilal in 2023 to bring an end to his time at PSG in a £78million move that came as something of a shock.
Despite making headlines for his decision to move to Saudi Arabia, Neymar had been restricted to just five games for his new club before picking up the injury during an international break last year.
However, on Monday evening, he made his long-awaited sixth appearance for the club after coming off the bench during their dramatic 5-4 win over rivals Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite – which is ironically abbreviated to the ACL Elite.
Footage showed the Brazilian in good spirits as he walked along the touchline before being substituted on in the 77th minute – 369 days after his last outing for the club.
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Neymar has finally made his return to the football pitch after over a year out with an ACL injury
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The Brazilian made just his sixth appearance for the Saudi giants after his £78million move
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Neymar’s girlfriend Bruna Biancardi (middle), their daughter Mavie (left) and her parents were in attendance to watch the Brazilian make his comeback against Al-Ain
He came close to finding the back of the net after leading a counter-attack however he was denied by the fingertips of the Al-Ain goalkeeper.
He also showed off some of his trademark flair by nutmegging an opponent before being hacked down to the ground.
Neymar’s model girlfriend Bruna Biancardi, their daughter Mavie and her parents were in attendance to watch the Brazilian make his comeback against Al-Ain.
The Brazilian will be delighted to return to the pitch after recently starring in an emotional interview where he opened up the struggles of being away from football.
Reflecting on the past 12 months on the NR Sports YouTube channel, he said: ‘I felt a huge pain. In that moment I already knew it was serious.
‘What I want most in life is to play football. I have suffered every day I’ve been away from the pitch. This is what hurts me the most.’
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Neymar made a 13-minute cameo as Al-Hilal beat rivals Al-Ain in a dramatic 5-4 match
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There had been much anticipation in Saudi Arabia about the Brazilian returning to fitness
Neymar breaks down in tears as he gears up for return to football after over a year out with injury
‘I am focused on the most important people in my life, my family and friends, and football. I have risen every time I have been injured. But I don’t return halfway.’
Including AFC Champions League matches, he made five appearances in total for Al-Hilal prior to his injury, contributing one goal and three assists.
His contract at Al-Hilal is set to expire next year, although there is the option to extend by a further 12 months.
The winger made his name at Santos after coming through their academy as a youngster before breaking into the first team.
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Neymar had to wipe away the tears as spoke about the year he has spent out of action
The Brazilian also made headlines recently after he was bizarrely booed by fans in Saudi Arabia when he was spotted at the blockbuster Six Kings Slam event.
There were even audible chants of ‘Ronaldo! Ronaldo’ with Cristiano Ronaldo being a huge success unsurprisingly in Saudi Arabia after his own move to Al-Nassr.
The Brazilian was then seen chatting to Rafael Nadal, who was beaten in straight sets 6-3 6-3 by compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in his round of the exhibition tournament.
Chelsea-bound wonderkid Estevao Willian has broken a record that was previously held by Neymar.
The Blues, in May, officially announced the signing of the 17-year-old from Palmeiras in a £28m deal that could rise to £55m with add-ons.
The forward will join Chelsea in the summer after he turns 18, and he has continued to impress in his native Brazil.
Estevao registered a goal and an assist in Parlimias’ 5-3 win over Juventude on Sunday night.
It took his goal contributions in Brazil’s Serie A this year to 18, becoming the most productive under-17 player in the league’s history.
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Estevao Willian scored one and assisted another as Palmeiras beat Juventude 5-3 on Sunday
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Estaveo has become the most productive under-17 player in Brazil ahead of Neymar (pictured)
The previous record was held by Neymar, who registered 16 goals and assists while playing for Santos in 2009.
Estevao performances at a young age have sent shockwaves within Brazil and is dubbed ‘Messinho’, which in English means ‘Little Messi’, although he is not a fan of the nickname.
He already has two Brazil caps to his name having played in the World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Ecuador last month.
Europe’s biggest clubs all queued up for the youngster’s signature during the summer, with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris-Saint Germain, all in a fight to land the star.
However, the lure of Chelsea proved too strong and the tricky winger decided to snub many of football’s most decorated clubs in order to move to Stamford Bridge in 2025 when he turns 18.
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He has two Brazil caps having played in the World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Ecuador
The Premier league giants will hope Estevao follows in the footsteps of Neymar, who has gone on to establish himself as one of the best players of his generation.
Kendry Paez, the 17-year-old who plays for Independiente Del Valle in Ecuador, has also already agreed a deal to join Chelsea once he turns 18 next year.
