RIYADH: Brazilian superstar Neymar was unveiled to fans at Al-Hilal on Saturday as he became the latest world-famous footballer to sign for a club in the Saudi Pro League.
He was welcomed at Al-Hilal’s 68,000-capacity stadium in Riyadh alongside two other new signings, fellow Brazilian Malcolm and Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Neymar joined Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 for a world-record fee of €222 million ($242 million), scoring 118 goals in 173 matches despite a series of injuries.
He arrived in Riyadh to a hero’s welcome on Friday ahead of the unveiling as he was received in an airport lounge packed with club officials and madia, a large diamond-studded cross hanging around his neck as he posed for pictures.
“We will hold a big party worthy of the samba dancer,” an Al-Hilal official said.
On his move to the Kingdom, Neymar said: “It is exciting, meeting top quality players on the other teams thrills you, and motivates you to play even better. And it is a given when you face Ronaldo, Benzema, Firmino, that the excitement is even greater. So I am happy to join this league, facing them will be wonderful, it will be fantastic.”
Cristiano Ronaldo set the Saudi Pro League’s plans in motion when he joined Al-Nassr in January in a two-and-a-half-year deal said to be worth 400 million euros.
* With AFP
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