Saudi giants Al-Hilal terminate Neymar Junior contract ahead of Santos move | OneFootball

For the first time in Neymar Junior’s career, he is a free agent. The Brazilian forward has agreed to terminate his deal with Al-Hilal just 18 months after arriving in Saudi Arabia as one of their star recruits. A cruciate ligament injury early in his time in the Middle East kept him out of action for the majority of his spell there.

The Brazilian superstar is not expected to be unattached for long though, with a deal already agreed to take him back to his first club Santos, who have recently returned to Serie A in Brazil. The deal, as per Marca, will run until the 2026 World Cup and will have an option for a further year extension.

If the Saudi Pro League was a little less flush for cash, it would be a ruinous deal. Neymar joined the Saudi Arabian football revolution from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for €90m, as the the Qatari-backed Ligue 1 champions tried to shift him off their wage bill. Over the course of the two years, Neymar was due to earn €200m, with a potential for €163.5m on top of that in additional commerical deals, as per Sport. The contract termination will reportedly cost Al-Hilal €62m, as the deal ends six months earlier than expected.

During his time in Saudi Arabia, the 32-year-old made just 7 appearances and scored a singular goal. After recovering from his cruciate ligament injury, suffered on Brazil duty, Neymar was left unregistered for the Saudi Pro League by Al-Hilal, a sign that they were keen to move on from him. Despite being fit for several months, Neymar has played just 42 minutes this season.

His motivation at Santos, aside from returning to regular action, is likely to be the 2026 World Cup. The showpiece event in Canada, Mexico and the United States is likely to be Neymar’s last opportunity to lift the biggest trophy missing from his cabinet. He was reportedly offered to Barcelona before joining Santos, and last week Barcelona Sporting Director Deco declared that Neymar would be welcome at any club in the world.