In mid-August of 2023, Neymar departed PSG to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia on a 2-year contract valued at £2.5 million per week. Whilst having joined in August, he has yet to debut for the club due to an ankle injury. However, it is considered that this will change on Friday as he is rumoured to be making his debut against Al-Riyadh. This comes after he was left out of the SPL’s ‘Clasico’, Al-Hilal vs Al-Ittihad, due to his ankle injury.
Whilst failing to make his debut in Saudi Arabia thus far, Neymar made history during the international break. In Brazil’s 5-1 win over Bolivia, Neymar scored two goals and consequently became Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer with 79 goals, overtaking Pele. This is a record which has not been broken in 52 years. A monumental moment in Brazilian football, further decorating Neymar’s career. After the game, he spoke about breaking the record.
“I want to say that I am not a better player than Pelé. I always wanted to make my own story, write my name in the history of Brazilian football and the national team. And today I did that.”
There is no doubt that this is an incredible achievement for Neymar. Despite this, Jorge Jesus, manager of Al-Hilal said “I don’t know what the Brazilian national team called him, he is not ready”. This undoubtedly feels like a kick in the face for Jesus, as the player who they bought for an estimated $102 million is still yet to make his debut yet is breaking records with his national team. Nonetheless, his debut is highly anticipated by fans, and they have been building excitement, with a drone display before a match which spelled out ‘Neymar is blue’.
With a high fee paid to PSG and a steep contract offered to Neymar, Al-Hilal is putting much faith in the 31-year-old Brazilian. However, until now due to his injury and the international break, his true footballing value in Saudi Arabia has not been revealed, but this will change soon with his debut.
There was once a time when Neymar was the next top player. The player to succeed Ronaldo and Messi’s supreme reign, but at just 31 years old, he has left European football. He failed to live up to the hype which surrounded him. He has failed to win a Ballon d’Or and has only won a single Champions League title. Now in Saudi Arabia, a far less competitive league compared to Ligue 1, his chances of securing a Ballon d’Or are further out of reach. It can be considered that whilst he has incredible natural ability and flair, he does not have the same winners’ mentality as Ronaldo and Messi – failing to compete with their accolades.
There have always been a variety of factors that have held Neymar back from reaching his full potential such as injuries, diving, and his lifestyle.
Neymar has always been an injury-prone player, and it has greatly impacted his career over the years. His ankle is a repeated problem which he suffers from and is still recovering from a recent injury to it, which has prevented him from debuting for Al-Hilal.
Alongside this, for all his career, Neymar has been diving on the pitch. In 2014 Pele told ESPN FC that “he (Neymar) tries to create fouls and situations that are not there”. Diego Simeone also claimed that “Diving is his characteristic”. Rather than diving, which is ultimately cheating, many believe that he should use his real footballing ability more. By resorting to this tactic so regularly, he has limited himself as a player.
On top of this, Neymar’s lifestyle has always been in the spotlight for its extravagant nature. This extravagance has been continued in Saudi Arabia. According to the Sun, Neymar requested three luxury cars from the club as well as a house with at least 25 rooms. He even arrived to Saudi Arabia in a private Boeing 747. Whilst this level of luxury is available as a consequence of his high-class footballing ability, it could be this life of excess that is the root cause of Neymar’s failure to reach his full potential as he has lost motivation with the surrounding indulgences.
There is definitely value in the debate of whether Neymar has reached his full potential despite his shortcomings. Now in Saudi Arabia, with his debut coming, will we know if Neymar is still thriving as a player, or will he merely stagnate in this league? Will he continue to indulge in the luxuries and fail to reach his full potential as a sportsman? Only time can tell and his debut will be the first sign of what is to come from Neymar at Al-Hilal this season.
