After being out of action for almost a year due to an injury, Brazilian striker Neymar has gone back to training with the Saudi Arabia team Al Hilal.

The player was injured on October 17, 2023, during a match with the Brazilian national team against Uruguay. The serious injury on his left knee occurred two months after Neymar was signed by the Saudi team. Now, he is back to training with the team, but even though he is back, Neymar has not been included in the roster for the Saudi championship. On the other hand, he is already on the roster for the Asian championship, which is currently underway.

In October, Dorival Júnior, the Brazilian national team coach, asked fans to remain patient as they wanted the star to return to the national team. According to Dorival, Neymar will return after he is fully recovered. In November, Brazil will play against Venezuela and Uruguay, but it is not certain whether the striker will be called.

The Brazilian Star’s Career Trajectory

1998 – Portuguesa Santista

Neymar started his career in the Portuguesa Santista team. His dribbling skills impressed the Santos scouts, who took him to Vila Belmiro.

2003 – Santos youth team

After watching the young talent play for Portuguesa Santista, the president of Santos at the time created an under-13 category, for players up to the age of 13, so that Neymar, born in 1992, could play in the team’s youth category.

2009 – Santos Futebol Clube

Neymar’s talent took him to the Santos official team when he was 17. In 2009, he was the revelation of the Brazilian Championship, and in 2011, he was awarded the Puskas Award for most beautiful goal of the season.

2010 – Brazilian national team

At 18, Neymar made his debut on the national team, where he has played until today. With his participation, the team won the Fifa Confederations Cup (2013) and the Rio Olympics in 2016.

2013 – Futbol Club Barcelona

For 57.1 million euros (around 349.6 million reais), Neymar was sold to the Catalan team so he could then star in European soccer. He won eight titles during his four years with Barcelona.

2017 – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

From Spain, Neymar went to France to play for PSG. He helped the club win 13 titles, including the French Cup, the French Super Cup, the Ligue 1, and the French League Cup.

2023 – Al Hilal Saudi Football Club

In August 2023, Neymar was signed by Al Hilal, a team from the Saudi Pro League, with the biggest contract ever made by a team outside Europe: 90 million euros (551 million reais). Because of his injury, he has only played five games for the club and scored one goal. The player’s contract is good until 2025.

Sources: Folha de S.Paulo, ESPN, TNT Sports and Olympics.

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