ABU DHABI — After more than a year away from the field due to injury, Brazilian star Neymar recently made his return, participating in the second half of Al Hilal's match against UAE's Al Ain on Monday in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite. Neymar entered the match in the 77th minute, replacing the injured Nasser Al-Dawsari, while the Saudi visitors were leading 5-3 thanks to a hat trick from Salem Al-Dawsari. Neymar, who joined Al Hilal in August 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain, sustained a cruciate ligament and meniscus injury on October 17 of the same year during a match with the Brazilian national team against Uruguay in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The Brazilian, who was not included in Al Hilal's local roster for the current football season that began in August, has only played five matches for his new club. In a video posted on Saturday, the 32-year-old former Barcelona forward appeared emotional and said, "I suffer every day I am away; that is what hurts me the most." He warned, "I have returned every time I have been injured, and I will not come back half-heartedly," concluding the video with images of competitions he has set as his goals, including the 2026 World Cup. On the eve of the match against Al Ain, Al Hilal's Portuguese coach, Jorge Jesus, stated that the Brazilian would be included in the squad after receiving medical clearance in recent days.
