Neymar has credited the Greatest footballer of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo for kickstarting the remarkable transformation of the Saudi Pro League, while the Brazilian forward said he was extremely motivated to deliver success for Al Hilal.
Neymar, 31, completed a blockbuster move from Paris Saint-Germain to Hilal earlier this week, shattering the Saudi Pro League (SPL) transfer record to become the latest high-profile player to move to the kingdom during an unprecedented summer transfer window.
The Brazil captain follows the likes of Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema, World Cup winner N’Golo Kante, Manchester City treble-winner Riyad Mahrez, and former Liverpool quartet Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho in moving to the Saudi Pro League this summer.
Neymar joins a Hilal side who have made several stunning deals of their own. The Riyadh giants, the most successful club in Saudi football, have broken the league transfer record three times this window, first by recruiting Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves from Wolves and again with the signing of Brazilian winger Malcom from Zenit St Petersburg, before Neymar completed the hat-trick.
Former Chelsea and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, previously of Lazio, will also be Neymar’s teammates.
It was Ronaldo, though, who seemingly paved the way when he joined Al Nassr in December last year, while the involvement of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in the league’s four biggest clubs has allowed this transformative summer to take place.
“I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him ‘crazy’, and this and that. Today you see the league grow more and more,” Neymar said in his first interview since joining Hilal, adding that he’s excited to take on the Portuguese superstar and the rest of the big players in the league.
“It is exciting, meeting top quality players on the other teams thrills you, and motivates you to play even better,” he said. “And it is a given when you face the greatest player of all time Ronaldo, also 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.”
Neymar, who signed a two-year contract with Hilal, undoubtedly adds even greater star power to the SPL, arriving with one of the most glittering records in world football which comprises 22 major club trophies for Santos, Barcelona, and PSG including seven league titles, the Uefa Champions League, and Copa Libertadores.
He is therefore the ideal fit for Hilal – the most successful club in Asian football with 66 trophies, including 18 league titles and four Asian Champions League titles, but Neymar insisted the focus is on the present and future
Neymar with chairman of the board of directors of Al Hilal, Fahad Bin Saad Bin Nafel, in Paris, France, after completing his move to Al Hilal. Reuters