Neymar Returns to Football After a Year Out
Brazilian forward Neymar, player for Saudi club Al Hilal, returned to the pitch on Monday after overcoming a serious knee injury that had sidelined him for a year.
Neymar, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus tear in his left leg during a match for the Brazilian national team against Uruguay on October 17, 2023, played the last half hour of the Asian Champions League match between his team and Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates.
The Brazilian attacker, who turned 32 this past February, had the opportunity to test the Al Ain goalkeeper with a cross shot that went just wide after a quick combination with Serbian Aleksandar Mitrović.
The match ended with a 5-4 victory for Al Hilal, highlighted by the performance of Saudi striker Salem Al Dawsari, who finished the contest with a hat trick.
However, all eyes were on Neymar's return, who days earlier revealed in a video the suffering he had endured during his time away from the pitch.
"What I want most in life is to play football. I have suffered every day I have been off the field. That’s what hurts me the most," Neymar stated in tears.
This ordeal came to an end for the former player of, among others, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain on Monday when he substituted midfielder Nasser Al Dawsari in the 77th minute.
