“The sky is the limit. Now fly, my boy. What a beautiful story you are writing,” Ronaldo Nazario said after seeing Neymar hit a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against Peru in 2020 to overtake him in Brazil’s all-time top scorers list. “A complete and increasingly mature player. Trust your instincts because the talent is yours and nobody can pull you down. You have many records to break and many marks to leave. Proud to see a Brazilian at the top.”
Four years on, Neymar’s “beautiful story” has turned into a nightmare. Injuries completely overshadowed the latter stages of his Paris Saint-Germain career, and the French giants jumped at the chance to get rid of him when Al-Hilal came in with a €90 million (£77.2m/$98.3m) bid in the 2023 summer transfer window.
The Santos academy graduate does have more goals to his name than any other Brazil player in history now (79), but hasn’t scored for his country since beating Pele’s record in September 2023. A month later, Neymar tore his ACL on international duty, and the road to recovery was so gruelling that he contemplated giving up on the sport entirely.
Neymar ultimately overcame those demons to return to the pitch, but his comeback has lasted just two games, leaving Al-Hilal in a real bind. The Saudi Pro League club may have no choice but to write off their initial investment in the enigmatic 32-year-old, who will surely never “fly” at the highest level again.