After recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, Brazil forward Neymar made his first appearance for Al-Hilal in more than a year.
In the Asian Champions League, the 32-year-old entered the game in the 77th minute as his team defeated Al-Ain of the UAE Pro League 5–4.
Neymar suffered the injury on October 17, 2023, while representing Brazil against Uruguay in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
The following month, the forward, who has scored the most goals of any male in Brazil’s history, had surgery.
After an Al-Hilal counterattack, the substitute almost marked his comeback with a goal, but Al-Ain regained possession and pulled one back late on.
In August 2023, Neymar left Paris St-Germain for Saudi Arabia for an estimated sum of 90 million euros (£77.6 million) plus add-ons.
Ankle ailments kept him out of action for several months during his final two seasons with PSG.
Prior to rupturing his ACL, he played five games for Al-Hilal.
