‘Superstar’ Neymar (Alhilal) made his comeback in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) stage after more than a year. It’s been more than a year since he suffered a serious injury in October last year. He said he was overwhelmed to finally be back on the field, as he burst into tears just thinking about his injury.
Neymar started the 2024-2025 ACLE League Stage 3 match against Al Ain at the Haji bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Nov. 22 (local time) on the bench before coming on as a substitute for Nasser Al Dawsari in the 32nd minute and eos파워볼 playing until the end of the match.
The star of the show for fans was Neymar’s return from injury. It had been almost a year since Neymar had played an official match since the Uruguay-Brazil match in the South American qualifier for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America on October 18 last year. Neymar, who was representing Brazil at the time, went down with knee pain during the match. A scan revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, and he underwent surgery and was sidelined for a year. Neymar’s recent injury has left fans feeling sorry for him, as he has struggled so much that he has burst into tears just thinking about the circumstances surrounding his injury.
Neymar also missed the Copa America due to injury. Brazil was eliminated after losing to Uruguay. His injuries have also hampered Brazil’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Neymar eventually underwent surgery last November to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament and repair a torn meniscus, which led to a lengthy rehabilitation. After enduring a long recovery period, Neymar rejoined the team’s training late last month and made his comeback match 369 days later. Neymar, who came on as a substitute in the 32nd minute of the second half with his team leading 5-3, threatened the opposition goal directly once during his 13 ball touches. He completed four of five passes and one of two off the dribble. Although he didn’t add to his attacking tally, it was a brief glimpse of Neymar’s class as he returned to full fitness in his first game back in a year.
Neymar, who moved to Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG-France) in August last year for €90 million, played just five games before being dropped from the squad. The game against Al Ain was his sixth match for Al Hilal.
His return alone was significant. “It’s always nice to feel that rush of emotion before a game,” he said on social media after the match. I’m happy to be able to feel it again,” he said on social media.
“Neymar, who hasn’t played since October 18 last year, made a magical comeback after more than a year,” said Spanish media outlet As, ”Neymar succeeded in overcoming an ordeal that lasted more than a year. Not only Saudi fans but also Brazilians celebrated his return.”
Al-Hilal, meanwhile, won a hard-fought 5-4 victory over Al-Ain in a nail-biting match. With their third consecutive win in the ACLE, Al Hilal (P9, Goals +8) are level on points with Al Ahli (P9, Goals +4) but lead the West Asia region on goal difference. Al Ain’s international midfielder Park Yong-woo started the match but was subbed off in the 24th minute, leaving Neymar without a chance to play.