Neymar, a famous football player from Brazil, has finally returned to the field after missing more than a year with an ACL injury. 

In 2023, the 32-year-old left PSG for Al-Hilal, which is run by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The move, which cost £78 million, was a bit of a surprise. 

Neymar made news when he decided to move to Saudi Arabia, but he had only played five games for his new club before he hurt himself during an international break last year.

But on Monday night, he finally played for the club for the sixth time after a long time. He came off the bench in a dramatic 5-4 win over foes Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite, which is ironically just called the ACL Elite.

As the Brazilian walked along the sidelines before being replaced in the 77th minute, 369 days after his last game for the club, video footage showed him in a good mood. 

The Brazilian showed flashes of the magic that made him a star in European football, but he wasn’t able to score and make a difference.

After leading a counterattack, he almost scored, but the Al-Ain goalkeeper saved it with his fingers.

Another thing that made him stand out was the nutmeg he gave an opponent before being cut down. 

Neymar’s model lover Bruna Biancardi, their daughter Mavie, and Mavie’s parents were all there to see him play again against Al-Ain.

The Brazilian will be excited to get back on the field after recently giving an emotional interview in which he talked about how hard it is to be away from football.

On the NR Sports YouTube channel, he talked about the past year and said, “I felt a huge pain.” At that moment, I knew it was awful.   

“Playing football is what I want most in life.” Every day I’ve been away from the game, I’ve been hurt. This is the worst thing that hurts me.

“My family, friends, and football are the most important things in my life right now.” Everyone who has hurt me has helped me get better. I don’t go back half way, though. 

Before he got hurt, he played five times for Al-Hilal, including AFC Champions League games, scoring one goal and setting up three others. 

His deal with Al-Hilal is set to end next year, but they can stretch it for another year if they want to.     

The winger made a name for himself at Santos. He had been in their youth program before making it to the first team.

He played 140 times and scored 72 goals. With the club, he won six big awards, including the Copa Libertadores in 2011.