Neymar Jr. continues his preparations for the upcoming Al Hilal season, having recovered from a significant ligament injury and hamstring tear. The Brazilian star’s return to action last year was followed by several further injury issues. His recent goal in a friendly match offers a positive sign of recovery and upcoming contributions. The goal serves as a good sign for both the player and his team as they prepare for the coming season.

Neymar Jr.’s return to soccer following a long injury layoff of more than a year was hampered by further injury problems toward the end of the 2024 season.

This latest injury has presented a major challenge to the player and has required a prolonged recovery period. The injury has been a significant setback and has required considerable time and effort to recover from.

On Monday, Neymar scored his first goal in almost 15 months. His goal secured a 2-0 victory for Al Hilal in a friendly against Al Fayha, demonstrating a return to scoring form and offering a positive indication of his fitness and his ability to contribute to the team. The goal was scored after a long period without playing. The recent match was a friendly match and is therefore not necessarily an indicator of the player’s form during league games.

A key contribution: Assisting in the opening goal

In addition to scoring, Neymar was instrumental in setting up Al Hilal’s opening goal, scored by Malcom, further showcasing his ability to influence the game and assist his teammates. The ability of the player to assist his team is one of his key strengths, and this continues to be evident in his recent performances.

The fact that he was able to both score and also assist his teammates highlights the player’s importance to the team and his ability to positively contribute to the team’s overall performance.

Neymar’s last goal prior to this friendly match was on October 3rd, 2023, in a 3-0 victory against Nassaji Mazandaran. The long period since his last goal highlights the extent of his injury layoff and the effort required in his recovery. The long period of time since his last goal also suggests the difficulties he faced with respect to injury and the necessity to overcome a challenging recovery process.