Two of international football’s greatest ever goalscorers will be in action on consecutive nights in the UAE this week.
First, Neymar is set to make his long-awaited comeback from injury for Al Hilal on Monday, then Cristiano Ronaldo will be in action for Al Nassr the following evening.
Neymar returns
Al Hilal announced in a social media post on Sunday morning that Neymar will be part of their tour party for Monday’s night’s game against Al Ain.
The Saudi champions will face the side from the Garden City in an AFC Champions League group match at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, kicking off at 8pm.
The fixture would have been a box-office one anyway, even without the return of the Brazilian. After all, Al Ain beat Al Hilal on the way to winning Asia’s Champions League last season, which was the only blemish in an otherwise extraordinary campaign for the Riyadh-based side.
Lengthy absence
In the clip the club posted, Neymar professed himself “ready” to return to playing. How much game time he gets, though, remains to be seen.
The forward, who has 79 goals in 128 games for Brazil, has been sidelined for over a year after suffering an anterior crucial ligament rupture while representing Brazil on October 19, 2023.
He remains unavailable for Saudi Pro League selection, as he will not be part of their squad until January, meaning he will have to work his way back to full fitness via the Champions League.
Form guide
Neymar was the headline signing in a transformative summer spree by Saudi Pro League clubs last year, in a €90 million deal that brought him in from Paris Saint-Germain.
Even though he managed just five appearances before his injury, his club coped just fine without him. Hilal went unbeaten as they won the league by 14 points, and won the King’s Cup to boot, to complete a domestic double.
They have won all seven league games and twice in the Champions League at the start of this campaign, too.
Al Ain’s form, by contrast, has been inconsistent, but that was the same last season and they still somehow managed to win the Champions League.
Plus, they are through to the second round of the new Intercontinental Cup, in which they will face African champs Al Ahly in Cairo later this month.
Chance to see Cristiano
Ronaldo scored his 907th career goal in the 97th minute of Al Nassr’s league game against Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
Now he will be part of their squad for their third Champions League fixtures of the campaign, against Iranian side Esteghlal in Dubai. The game will kick off at 8pm on Tuesday.
Why in Dubai?
The fixture had been set to be played at the Qods City Martyrs Stadium in Tehran. However, the AFC asked for the home club, Esteghlal, to find a venue in a neutral country because of the conflict involving Israel.
They opted for a switch to Rashid Stadium, the ground near Dubai International Airport which is home to UAE Pro League club Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.
Although they have ceded home advantage, the ground is at least known to Iranians. It is the same ground at which the Iran national team, for whom Esteghlal’s captain Hossein Hosseini was a non-playing sub, played their World Cup qualifier against Qatar last week.
The competition
After two matches, Al Hilal top the Champions League table. Asia’s top club competition has been revamped along similar lines to that in Europe.
Now, there are 24 teams playing eight games against different opponents in the new league phase, instead of the previous groups of four.
Twelve teams from the West region and 12 from the East have been placed into separate leagues. The top eight from either side will advance to the round of 16.
Tickets
The Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain is sold out for the visit of Neymar and Co on Monday.
Tickets are available for the arrival of Ronaldo in Dubai on Tuesday, starting at Dh150, and can be bought here.
TV
AFC Champions League fixtures are broadcast live on beIN Sports.
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.
MATCH INFO
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Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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SERIES INFO
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All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
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1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
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Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
