When will Neymar make his debut for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia?

The Brazilian made the move to Saudi Arabia from PSG yet there is already controversy surrounding him.

Neymar recently made the move from French side Paris Saint Germain to Saudi club Al Hilal, but there is already a huge question mark as to when the player can make his debut for his new team.

Neymar’s history at PSG is over. The Brazilian winger has already been presented as a new player for Al Hilal when they played against El Feiha, where both teams battled it out to a draw. Despite the huge change and gigantic fanfare for ‘Ney’, he has not yet managed to train with his teammates and it now appears that his first steps on the pitch could take weeks to happen, according to his new manager.

When will Neymar be fit and able to play?

Neymar has already been linked to a move after Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that his return to action has now turned into a state question for Saudi Arabian football given the colossal levels of investment the game has seen in recent weeks and months, in which various players around Europe have all been tempted to pack their bags in favour of money bags.

The Portuguese coach of Al Hilal, Jorge Jesús, made it clear that he does not know when Neymar will be back training with his new team, given the fact that the player has an injury that kept him away from PSG’s pre-season plans: “Neymar can do anything. He is one of the best players in the world, I’m sure, when he’s fit to play. He came with a small injury, he still can’t train with the team. I don’t know when he’ll be able to play.”

Neymar “can’t even train”, says manager

According to local press, the winger, who is enjoying some ludicrous perks already in Saudi Arabia, does not have an official estimated return date, although it is thought that he may be back some time in September. However, Jorge Jesús was also very critical of the fact that Neymar was called up to the Brazil squad, saying “I don’t know why he was called up, he’s injured. Maybe they force him to go with Brazil. He won’t play because he can’t play. He can’t even train, and even less so play. Right now I don’t see why he has to go to Brazil. He isn’t training, so how is he going to play? He has to get physically fit again to be able to play again.”

The South American side start their qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup just as Neymar is expected to be back from his current injury. And also, during that precise time, Al Hilal are facing Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad, the current league champions, at the start of the month. Neymar’s potential absence against the current Ballon d’Or holder could heavily affect Al Hilal’s chances of getting anything from the game.