Superstar Neymar flies in to a hero’s welcome

RIYADH: Brazilian football superstar Neymar arrived in Riyadh to a hero’s welcome on Friday ahead of his unveiling as an Al-Hilal player on Saturday.

The 31-year-old forward was received in an airport lounge packed with club officials and madia, a large diamond-studded cross hanging around his neck as he posed for pictures. A rock star welcome will await him at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh where he will be unveiled before thousands of fans on Saturday. “We will hold a big party worthy of the samba dancer,” an Al-Hilal official said. Neymar follows Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Saudi Pro League, which has a hit-list of high-profile targets. He scored 118 goals in 173 matches for Paris Saint-Germain, winning five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups, but his time at PSG was blighted by a catalogue of injuries. Although he helped the club to the 2020 Champions League final, which they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich, he was sidelined for key games. He underwent surgery on his right ankle in early March, only returning to join PSG on their pre-season tour of Asia. Saudi Arabia has been on a buying spree of sports assets as part of plans to diversify its economy and attract tourism and investment. The Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund bought English Premier League Club club Newcastle United in 2021, the same year it hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix. Qatar hosted the World Cup last year and Saudi Arabia is tipped to bid for the tournament after exploring a tri-continental edition with Egypt and Greece.