Neymar lands in Saudi Arabia and receives massive welcome

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Aug 2023 23:37
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Former Paris Saint-Germain player, Neymar, lands in Saudi Arabia after signing with Al-Hilal football club alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Brazilian national team's historical top scorer and the star of Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar Jr. arrives at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (AP)

Neymar lands in Saudi Arabia, with a large diamond-strutted cross hanging around his neck, ahead of Saturday's ceremony to unveil him as Al-Hilal's newest player.

The 31-year-old Brazilian received a huge airport welcome and was escorted, alongside his security team, to an airport lounge where he was greeted by a number of club officials.

According to AFP, an Al-Hilal official said, "We will hold a big party worthy of the samba dancer."

Earlier, on August 15, the Brazilian football forward inked a deal with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), marking another high-profile transfer to a Saudi football club alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

At the time, Neymar expressed his new affiliation in a video shared on Al-Hilal's social media platforms, proclaiming, "I am here in Saudi Arabia, I am Hilali."

PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi lauded Neymar's contributions to the team in a statement, acknowledging the challenge of bidding farewell to "one of the best players in the world" after his six-year tenure with the French champions. Al-Khelaifi reminisced about Neymar's impactful journey at PSG, emphasizing his role in shaping the club's history.

During his time at PSG, Neymar notched 118 goals across 173 matches, a period marked by injury setbacks. He secured five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups but faced disappointment in the 2020 Champions League final, where PSG fell short against Bayern Munich.