After being out injured for almost a year, Neymar may be nearing his return as Al-Hilal registered the player for the 2024-25 Saudi Pro.

Injuries have significantly hindered Neymar’s career so far. Most recently, the Brazilian forward suffered a horrific injury last September while on international duty. The former PSG and Barcelona star has not played for Al-Hilal since then and also missed the 2024 Copa America this past summer.

However, it seems Neymar is ready to return to the pitch after a year of recovery. The 32-year-old forward has been registered by Al-Hilal for the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League season. After the international break, the reigning Saudi champions will face Al-Riyadh in the third round on September 15th.

The Saudi Pro League regulations allow each team to register a maximum of 10 foreign players in their squad per season. Al-Hilal already has 10 foreign players, so to register Neymar, they had to remove one player. According to Saudi Arabian media, former Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi is the one who had to make way for Neymar.

Left-back Renan Lodi has been a regular starter since joining Al-Hilal earlier this year. However, with the arrival of new signing Joao Cancelo from Manchester City, Lodi is no longer a priority in the starting lineup, and his exclusion was anticipated.

With Neymar’s return, Al-Hilal will be even stronger. Despite other teams racing to strengthen their squads, Al-Hilal remains the top contender for the Saudi Pro League title this season.