Football

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal maintained their perfect start to the AFC Champions League Elite with a 3-0 victory over Iran's Esteghlal on Monday, thanks to a hat-trick from Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian striker scored twice in the first half to give Al Hilal a comfortable lead, before completing his treble in the second half.Brazil's Neymar made his second appearance in two weeks for Al Hilal, coming on as a second-half substitute. However, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star appeared to suffer a thigh injury and was replaced after just 28 minutes.Al Ahli, another Saudi Arabian side, also secured a victory on Monday, defeating Al Shorta of Iraq 5-1. Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez both scored twice for Al Ahli, while Feras Al Buraikan added another.Elsewhere in the AFC Champions League Elite, UAE's Al Wasl were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Al Sadd of Qatar, while Iran's Persepolis and Qatar's Al Gharafa played out the same scoreline in Dubai.Al Hilal now top the standings for West Asia with four wins from four, while Al Ahli are second with 12 points from a possible 12.

Neymar, the Brazilian football superstar, suffered another injury setback on Monday during his second game back from a year-long absence. The incident occurred in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Neymar's Al-Hilal faced Esteghlal of Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite.Neymar, who recently recovered from a torn ACL, came off the bench after 58 minutes. However, the 32-year-old forward was forced to leave the field with three minutes remaining after appearing to pull up after stretching his leg out for the ball in the penalty area.Despite the injury, Neymar has time to recover before his next game, as he is not registered for Al-Hilal's matches in the Saudi Pro League. The next fixture in the AFC competition is scheduled for November 25.Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Serbian striker, stole the show for Al-Hilal, scoring a hat trick to lead the four-time Asian champion to a 3-0 victory. Mitrovic's goals came from close range, with the first coming after 15 minutes, the second just after the half-hour mark, and the third with 16 minutes remaining.Al-Hilal remains top of the 12-team group, with the top eight teams advancing to the Round of 16. They are ahead of Saudi Arabian rival Al-Ahli on goal difference after Al-Ahli thrashed Al-Shorta of Iraq 5-1, with former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino scoring twice in the first half.In other AFC Champions League matches, Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates drew 1-1 with Qatar's Al-Sadd, while the game between Persepolis of Iran and Al-Gharafa of Qatar ended in the same scoreline.

Brazilian superstar Neymar made his long-awaited return to the pitch on Monday after more than a year on the sidelines. The 32-year-old forward, now playing for Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, came on as a second-half substitute in his team's thrilling 5-4 victory over Asian champions Al Ain in the UAE.Neymar had not played since rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October 2022. He underwent surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process, but is now back in action and eager to regain his top form.The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker is Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances. He is expected to play a key role for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League and the Asian Champions League.Neymar was named on the Hilal bench for the first time since his injury and was introduced on 76 minutes of the Asian Champions Elite encounter at a packed Hazzan Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain. By then, Hilal were leading 5-3, thanks to goals from Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and a hat-trick from Salem Al Dawsari.Neymar cannot be registered for the Saudi top-flight until January, but Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is keen to get him match fit as soon as possible. "I need to prepare Neymar with games; that's the only possible means to bring him to his level, which was the idea today," Jesus said."There are some risks for the team because we need to use the games to prepare him, but it's the only way to have one of our important players back at the highest level," the Portuguese boss added.On Monday, Hilal took the lead on 26 minutes when Aleksandar Mitrovic played in Lodi down the left, and the ex-Atletico Madrid full-back drilled a low shot past Khalid Essa in the Al Ain goal. However, Hernan Crespo's side drew level six minutes before half-time when Morocco international Soufiane Rahimi slid home a cross.In first-half stoppage-time, Hilal seemed to take the contest away from their UAE rivals. First, Joao Cancelo, a summer signing from Manchester City, crossed for Milinkovic-Savic to head home unmarked from six years. Moments later, reigning Asian Player of the Year Al Dawsari raced cleared of the Al Ain defence, skipped around the onrushing Essa and curled home superbly on the angle.Al Ain reduced the deficit just after the hour through substitute Mateo Sanabria, only for Al Dawsari to flick home his second of the night from a Milinkovic-Savic centre. Minutes later, Rahimi notched his double as a see-saw clash took another swing. Al Dawsari then restored Hilal's two-goal advantage with a sublime strike from range.Not long into 12 minutes of the allotted injury-time, and with Hilal reduced to 10 men after defender Ali Al Bulaihi was sent off for an intentional handball, Rahimi won and converted a penalty to secure his hat-trick and give Al Ain hope, but the Saudi champions hung on to claim the win.Neymar had little time to truly impact the game, although he did flash wide an effort in the dying moments of normal time. Hilal sit top of the Western region group, with three victories from three while Al Ain have picked up a solitary point.

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in Saudi Arabia has sparked a surge of excitement in the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Nassr aiming to dethrone reigning champions Al-Hilal. Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in December 2022, has yet to lift a domestic trophy with the club.Al-Hilal dominated last season, winning the title with an impressive record of 31 wins and three draws, finishing 14 points clear of Al-Nassr. The Riyadh rivals faced off in the Saudi Super Cup final last weekend, with Al-Hilal emerging victorious 4-1.Despite the setback, Ronaldo remains determined to help Al-Nassr end Al-Hilal's dominance. "New season, same goal," he wrote in a social media post.Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly acknowledges the challenge ahead. "This season is going to be very difficult," he said. "Last year, it was a tough championship, but we managed to come out on top. This year, all the teams will be gunning to beat Al Hilal."Last summer, Saudi Arabia witnessed an influx of high-profile players from Europe's top leagues, including Ronaldo. This summer has been quieter, but the transfer window remains open until September 2.For Al-Hilal, the return of Neymar from injury will be a major boost. The Brazilian superstar made only five appearances before sustaining a knee injury in October. "Neymar's return is highly anticipated by our players," said Koulibaly. "He still has this motivation when we see him in training."Al-Nassr has also made significant signings, including Brazilian goalkeeper Bento and Senegalese star Sadio Mane. Other challengers include Al-Ahli, led by Riyad Mahrez, and Al-Ittihad, which has acquired French winger Moussa Diaby.The Saudi Pro League kicks off on Thursday, with all four clubs aiming to improve the average attendance of just over 8,000 per game last season. Al-Hilal also has international ambitions, representing Asia in the FIFA Club World Cup in June.

Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso, who was allegedly expelled from the Paris Olympics 2024 village, has revealed that Brazilian football star Neymar Junior recently sent her a private message on Instagram. Alonso's revelation comes after reports claimed that the organizing committee removed her from the Summer Games village for allegedly creating an "inappropriate atmosphere."Speaking to Paraguayan radio show Aire de Todos, the 20-year-old claimed that the former Brazil captain is a huge fan and slid into her DMs, without revealing much detail. "He sent me a DM. That's all I can say. It was left on the request form. I cannot tell this here," Alonso said, as quoted by Fox Sports Mexico.Regarding her reported exile from the Olympic Games Village, Alonso denied being removed or expelled from anywhere, urging people to "stop spreading false information."Meanwhile, Neymar is set to miss the start of the next Saudi Pro League season as he recovers from a serious knee injury, according to Al Hilal's coach. The Brazilian attacker suffered the injury in October and missed much of the current campaign, but Al Hilal still won the league for a record-extending 19th time earlier this month.Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said, "All I know now is that the time given to Neymar to recover and with similar injuries it is approximately from 10 to 11 months."Neymar underwent surgery in Brazil in November for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage. He was stretchered off in tears during Brazil's 2-0 loss to Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier in October after colliding with an opponent.Neymar left PSG for Al Hilal in 2023, becoming the latest world-famous footballer to join the big-spending Saudi Pro League. He earns a staggering 100 million euros a season in Saudi Arabia, while PSG pocketed 100 million euros in the deal.

Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Saudi Pro League has made him the highest-paid footballer in the world, earning double the salary of Neymar. The Portuguese superstar's astronomical wages have set a new benchmark in the league, which has emerged as a lucrative destination for global stars.Ronaldo's salary dwarfs that of his fellow top earners, Karim Benzema and Neymar. The former Real Madrid captain Benzema earns a significant sum, but it pales in comparison to Ronaldo's earnings. Neymar, despite making only five appearances for Al-Hilal in the 2023-24 season due to injury, still managed to pocket a staggering €20 million per game.The Saudi Pro League's top 10 salaries list reveals a significant disparity between the wages of the global superstars and the rest of the league. Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, N'Golo Kante, and Aymeric Laporte round out the top 10, but their salaries are considerably lower than the top three earners.The influx of global stars to the Saudi Pro League has raised eyebrows, with reports suggesting that English Premier League stars Casemiro, Ederson, Alisson Becker, and Kevin De Bruyne could also make the switch. This influx of talent has transformed the league into a competitive and exciting destination for football fans.Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia has sparked debate about the future of the sport. Some argue that the financial incentives offered by the league could lure top players away from Europe's elite leagues, while others believe that the move could help develop the game in the Middle East.