With the futures of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane all sorted out, there is perhaps no transfer in world football being talked about more than Neymar’s €90 million move from Paris Saint-Germain to Al Hilal.
Brazil’s joint all-time top scorer and one of the greatest players of the 21st century signed a two-year contract to join Hilal on Tuesday, bringing to an end his six-year stay in the French capital.
He becomes the latest name to join the Saudi revolution that has already seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and many others join the Saudi Pro League.
Despite already being among the three highest spenders in the transfer market this summer, Al Hilal fans have looked in envy to their domestic rivals who have each added a name from the very top of world football to their ranks.
Across the city, Al Nassr are captained by one of the game’s all-time greats in Ronaldo, while in Jeddah, Al Ittihad, the closest team to Al Hilal in terms of success, are led by the current Ballon d’Or holder Benzema. Al Ahli have been transformed by a front three that rivals the very best in world football in Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Allan Saint-Maximin.
In comparison, while Al Hilal have the impressive pairing of Ruben Neves and Sergei Milinkovic-Savic in midfield, their attacking third has to date only seen former Zenit Saint Petersburg attacker Malcom being paired against local players like Salem Al Dawsari and Abdullah Al Hamdan.
The Riyadh club unsuccessfully pursued Messi, then when he moved to Inter Miami, they turned their attention to Bernardo Silva then Neymar’s former teammate Mbappe, but as the league season kicked-off, they found themselves still fielding a front three of Malcom, Al Dawsari and Michael, who has not convinced since joining in January 2022.
Finally, the stars aligned for the team named after the crescent and a move for Neymar became possible with PSG and Mbappe reaching an agreement to keep him in Paris this season. Al Hilal finally have their own "Class A" star. A man worthy of the number ten shirt at Asia’s most successful football club in the new era of Saudi football. The 31-year-old could not be a more perfect fit for any club in the kingdom than he is for Al Hilal.
Almost 15 years before Neymar was born, one of the greatest players to ever emerge from Brazil was making the headlines for a shocking transfer from Fluminense to Al Hilal.
In 1978, football in Saudi Arabia was still in its formative years, with the nationwide league only a few years old when Al Hilal stunned the football world by announcing the signing of 1970 World Cup winner Rivellino. The moustachioed winger was at the same age Neymar is today and had been part of the quartet that included the legendary Pele, Jairzinho and Tostao, forming one of the most entertaining national teams of all time.
In four years in Riyadh, Rivellino, once described by Diego Maradona as one of his footballing idols, propelled Al Hilal to two consecutive league titles for the first time in their history added the 1980 King’s Cup, in the process scoring 23 goals in just over 50 matches. His famous left-footed strikes, including a title decider against archrivals Al Nassr, remain one of the most memorable football moments in the history of the nation.
What Rivellino didn’t know was that he would be starting a decades-long tradition of Brazilian players wearing the blue and white jersey and creating a legacy that would lead to the acquisition of Neymar 45 years later.
Over the course of its history, as many as 30 Brazilians have represented Al Hilal, more than three times the next most popular foreign nationality, including two who will be Neymar’s new teammates in Malcom and Michael.
Around the turn of the 21st century, Al Hilal were set to compete in their second Asian Club Championship final (now AFC Champions League), having become the first Saudi club to win the competition in 1991. Their opponents were a Jubilo Iwata side that featured some of Japan’s best players like Naohiro Takahara and Masahi Nakayama.
A Brazilian by the name of Sergio Ricardo was the hero of the night in front of 40,000 fans at King Fahd International Stadium, scoring a hat-trick, including a Golden Goal in extra time to bring home the title in a 3-2 win and write his name as an eternal Brazilian in the club history.
Since then, the tradition continued with Marcelo Camacho, who is often regarded as the most technically talented Brazilian to play in Saudi Arabia, wearing the club colours between 2004 and 2006.
Thiago Neves arrived from HSV Hamburg after an unsuccessful spell in Germany and went on to become the first Brazilian to captain the club in a three-year stint in which he played 122 times, scoring 59 goals for them including some stunning free-kick and long range efforts.
Neves’ record and popularity in Riyadh can only be matched by that of Carlos Eduardo. The player nicknamed "Super Eduardo" joined Al Hilal from FC Porto and became the foreign player with most appearances and goals for Al Hilal, racking up 81 goals in 157 appearances and becoming the club’s permanent captain in his last season before moving to Shabab Al Ahli in the UAE, having led them to winning the AFC Champions League in 2019.
In between Rivellino and Neymar, there were many names that left their mark. From defensive rock Digao to playmaking wizard Matheus Pereira and prolific albeit short-staying forwards Ailton Almeida and Leo Bonatini.
Every one of them has ensured that Neymar has arrived at a club where the legacy of Brazilian players is as prestigious as the history and name of the club itself.
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
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The%20specs
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
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2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Real Madrid 1
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
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- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
More coverage from the Future Forum
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
