Brazilian football star Neymar will have about a month before his debut in the Saudi Professional League. Neymar was still recovering from a long-term ankle injury when he transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal FC in mid-August.
The recent international break provided Neymar with valuable playing time. He participated in Brazil's 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru under new coach Fernando Diniz, starting in both games.
In the match against Bolivia, Neymar scored two goals, surpassing legendary player Pele to become Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals.
On Wednesday morning, Neymar flew to Riyadh on a private plane and is expected to join his Al-Hilal teammates for training on Thursday night. This has led to speculation that head coach Jorge Jesus will field him in Friday's home game against local rival Al-Ahli.
Neymar will wear the number 10 jersey for Al-Hilal, which was previously worn by Brazilian legend Rivellino during his three seasons with the club after his transfer to Riyadh in 1978. Rivellino was also a member of Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning team.
Despite the delay in the debut of signed players, Al-Hilal FC's performance has been impressive. They lead the Saudi League with 13 points from five matches, only dropping points in the game against Al-Fayha when Neymar wasn't playing. Their next opponents, Al-Ahli, currently have only four points and are at the bottom of the 15-team league since their return to the top flight for the first time since the 2004/05 season.
Upon welcoming Neymar to the team, head coach Jorge Jesus needed to adjust the team to accommodate his numerous attacking talents. So far, Jesus has been inclined to use a 4-3-3 tactical system, pairing Ruben Neves and Sergei Milinkovic-Savic with Mohammed Kanoo or Salem Al-Dawsari, the former providing support from the back and the latter playing a free attacking role.
The attacking trio of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcolm, and Al-Dawsari has produced impressive results, with each scoring four goals in the league, while Michael has excelled on either side. Unfortunately, the former Flamengo winger might be replaced in the starting lineup to accommodate Neymar.
For the Brazilian national team, Neymar is deployed in the number 10 position, where he receives creative freedom behind Roberto Firmino and plays a role alongside Rafinha and Rodrigo.
If used in a similar position, Malcolm and Al-Dawsari are likely to occupy the two wing positions, while Neves may have more defensive duties besides being a deep-lying playmaker. And Milinkovic-Savic will play as a versatile midfielder, utilizing his physicality and ability to enter the box to pose an additional threat.
Alternatively, Jesus might choose to deploy Neymar on the left side of the attacking trio and restore Al-Dawsari to a more attacking midfield trio.
Regardless of how he is used on the field, Neymar's arrival increases global interest in the Saudi Professional League. The league has already attracted high-profile players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Riyad Mahrez. Brazil is a key market for the Saudi League, with more foreign players participating than any other foreign country, and its broadcasting rights have been sold to Canal Goat. Therefore, more people from Brazil will be watching Al-Hilal's games than ever before.