SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Factbox: Brazil and Al-Hilal forward Neymar
Facts on Brazil’s Neymar, who joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal on Tuesday in a deal reported to be worth about 90 million euros ($98.26 million) after six seasons at Paris St Germain.
Full Name: Neymar da Silva Santos Jr
Born: Feb. 5, 1992
EARLY CAREER
* Played for Portuguesa Santista as a young boy.
* Joined Santos youth academy in 2003 and at 14 had a trial with Real Madrid but his father decided against a move to Spain.
SANTOS (2009-2013)
* Signed first professional contract with Santos in 2009 and made his senior debut aged 17 in the Campeonato Paulista. Scored his first senior goal in his third game.
* Made 33 appearances and scored 10 goals in his first league season.
* Scored 42 goals in 60 appearances in all competitions in 2010 as Santos won the Campeonato Paulista and Copa do Brasil.
* Scored six goals in the 2011 Copa Libertadores as Santos won the competition for the first time since 1963.
* In 2011, won the FIFA Puskas award for a goal against Flamengo and was named South American Footballer of the Year.
* Scored his 100th goal in 2012 and won his second South American Footballer of the Year award.
* Played final season at Santos in 2013 before moving to Barcelona in May.
BARCELONA (2013-2107)
* Signed five-year deal with Barcelona for a reported fee of 57 million euros ($62.15 million).
* Made debut in first game of the 2013-14 LaLiga season, scoring his first goal three days later in the Supercopa against Atletico Madrid as Barca won the trophy thanks to his away goal.
* The 2014-15 season saw Neymar win the treble with Barcelona. He scored 39 goals in all competitions, including the Champions League final where they beat Juventus 3-1.
* In his four seasons at the Nou Camp, the Brazilian won two La Liga titles plus the Champions League, three Copa del Rey trophies and the Club World Cup, scoring 105 goals in 186 games.
* In August 2017, Barca announced that Neymar’s legal team had paid them the 222 million euros release clause on his contract as PSG wanted to sign him for a world record fee.
PSG (2017-2023)
* Joined PSG on a five-year deal in August 2017 and scored 28 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions as PSG won three domestic trophies, but he missed the rest of the season after fracturing his right foot in February.
* UEFA banned him for three games for an Instagram post in March 2019 in which he insulted VAR officials for awarding Manchester United a penalty which knocked PSG out of the Champions League.
* Neymar was in trouble again a month later when a video appeared to show him punching a spectator after PSG lost the Coupe de France Final to Rennes.
* The 2019-20 season saw him win his third league title with PSG but they lost the Champions League final to Bayern Munich.
* The following season, Neymar became the fastest in the club’s history to reach 50 league goals (58 games), but PSG finished second in Ligue 1.
* In May 2021 he signed a contract extension until 2025. Scored his 400th career goal in November and won PSG’s 10th league title in 2021-22.
* Won his fifth league title with PSG in 2022-23 but Neymar’s campaign ended prematurely again in March when he underwent surgery on his ankle.
* PSG fans gathered outside his home in May, calling for him to leave the club.
* Neymar scored 118 goals in 173 appearances in all competitions for PSG, winning 13 domestic trophies.
BRAZIL (2010-present)
* Scored on his international debut aged 18 in 2010 in a friendly with the United States; was on the Brazil team which won silver at the 2012 Olympics.
* Won the Confederations Cup in 2013, scoring four goals and winning the player of the tournament award.
* Played at his first World Cup in 2014 when Brazil were hosts. Scored four goals before suffering a fractured vertebra in the quarter-final against Colombia, ruling him out of the tournament.
* Named Brazil captain by then-manager Dunga in 2014.
* Captained his country at the 2016 Olympics, scoring the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil beat Germany in the final.
* Scored twice at the 2018 World Cup where Brazil went out in the quarter-finals to Belgium.
* Equalled Pele’s scoring record for Brazil with his 77th goal at the 2022 World Cup. Scored in the quarter-final against Croatia but Brazil lost the penalty shootout.
* His 77 goals have come in 124 international games.
-Reuters
SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Ronaldo heads to Spain for rehab after injury in Saudi league

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo will travel to Spain for rehabilitation after sustaining a hamstring injury, Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Nassr’s coach Jorge Jesus said on Friday.
The 41-year-old, who has netted 21 goals in 22 games this season in the SPL, was injured in a 3-1 win over Al-Fayha on Saturday.
“After examining Ronaldo’s injury, it became clear that he needs a period of rest and treatment, so we decided to send him to Spain,” Jesus told a press conference.
“The medical staff diagnosed Ronaldo’s condition and confirmed that he is unable to take part in tomorrow’s match or the following one (against Al‑Khaleej)”.
It remains unclear whether the five-times Ballon d’Or winner will be fit to participate in Portugal’s friendlies against Mexico on March 29 and the U.S. on April 1.
-Reuters
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SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Benzema moves to Al-Hilal following Al-Ittihad departure

Karim Benzema has joined Al-Hilal, the Saudi Pro League leaders announced on Monday, following the termination of his contract with Al-Ittihad.
Local media reported that the move to Al-Hilal came after Benzema rejected an offer to extend his contract with Al-Ittihad. The former French striker had missed the team’s previous two league matches.
“Al-Hilal signed French star Karim Benzema on a free transfer to represent the football team for one and a half years,” the Saudi club said in a statement.
Benzema had a successful spell with the Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad, leading them to the league title and the King’s Cup last season. It was the first domestic double in Al‑Ittihad’s history.
“This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally,” Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer in 2023 after 14 years with Real Madrid, said on X.
“I leave with my head held high, proud to have worn these colours and of everything we shared.”
The former Real Madrid striker, 38, scored 16 goals in 21 matches for Al-Ittihad in all competitions this season.
Al-Hilal sit top of the league standings with 47 points, one point ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. Al-Ittihad are sixth with 34 points.
-Reuters
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SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Ronaldo Hints at Imminent Retirement, Says He’s Ready for Life Beyond Football

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that his long and illustrious playing career will come to an end “soon,” admitting that while stepping away from football will be emotionally difficult, he has been preparing for the transition for years.
The 40-year-old Al Nassr striker, who holds the record as football’s all-time top scorer with 952 goals for club and country, spoke candidly about his future during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored published on Tuesday.
“Soon,” Ronaldo said when asked when he plans to retire. “I think I will be prepared. It will be very, very difficult. But I’ve been preparing for my future since I was 25, 26, 27 years old. I believe I’ll be ready to handle it.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has previously set himself a target of reaching 1,000 career goals, acknowledged that nothing will ever match the thrill of scoring. “Nothing compares to the adrenaline you get from scoring a goal,” he said. “But everything has a beginning and an end. I’ll have more time for myself, for my family, and to raise my kids.”
Ronaldo, who enjoyed two spells at Manchester United, also expressed his sadness over the club’s decline in recent years. Despite his difficult departure from Old Trafford three years ago, he said he still follows United’s fortunes.
“I’m sad because Manchester United is one of the most important clubs in the world and a club I still have in my heart,” he said. “But they don’t have a structure. I hope that changes soon, because the club’s potential is amazing.”
Reflecting on United’s struggles — including last season’s 15th-place finish, their worst since 1973–74 — Ronaldo added: “They’re not on a good path. And it’s not just about the coach or the players. In my opinion, he (manager Ruben Amorim) is doing his best. But what can you do? Miracles are impossible.”
As Ronaldo’s extraordinary career edges toward its conclusion, his words signal the closing chapter of one of football’s greatest ever journeys — a career defined by records, resilience, and relentless ambition.
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