On Tuesday, August 15,the clubs announced the signing of Brazilian forward Neymar to Saudi Arabian Premier League (SPL) club Al-Hilal from French soccer club PSG. Neymar had a medical on Monday in Paris, according to sources who spoke to Reuters, and is expected to land in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, where he’ll be introduced to fans at the King Fahd stadium.

 Neymar, who first joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 with a world record fee of 222 million euros, has finally left the club after playing for six seasons. Neymar has contributed much to the club’s publication over the years with his millions of worldwide fans, especially after his shocking appearance in the 2023 World Cup in Qatar, where he played for Brazil. 

After joining Saudi Arabia’s club Al-Hilal, Neymar’s salary is estimated to be $160 million euros per season, and with image rights and publicity, he can also continue to make an extra 150 million euros over the two seasons. Moreover, in addition to the hefty salary Neymar is getting paid, he will barely have any expenses in the Middle East as Hilal is covering mostly everything including his housing, a private chef, luxury cars, and much more. 

In addition to being one of the best clubs in Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal has also won the Asian Champions League four consecutive times. The club is managed by Portugal’s Jorge Jesus, who is in his second season with the club, and currently has four international players on loan from Europe, including Ruben Neves, Sergi, Milinkavic, Koulibaly, and now Neymar Junior.

 Furthermore, the rise of the Saudi Pro League continues to increase as they continue to attract the biggest stars in European football, all possible with the $620 billion public investment fund the Saudis bankrolled. However, it is not a surprise that Saudi Arabia and its clubs have spent close to half a million dollars luring players from European powerhouses with their irresistible offers, as the leagues strive to be one of the top competitions in the world in the next few years.