Neymar ends a disappointing spell Al-Hilal, and has now returned to Brazil to rejoin his first club [Getty/TNA]
Brazilian star player Neymar made his return to his boyhood club Santos this week after mutually agreeing to end his contract at Saudi club Al-Hilal having played only seven games for the team. The former PSG and Barcelona player became the most expensive player in Saudi league history when he signed in the summer of 2023, but several major injuries and a dip in form led to his early exit from the club.
Meanwhile, Egypt was narrowly beaten by France in the World Handball Championships quarterfinal in the last nanoseconds of the game, though they made their mark as one of only two non-European teams to reach the last eight.
In the cricketing world, the International League T20 in the UAE is continuing, with some of the world’s best players competing in the franchise cricket tournament.
Neymar ends disappointing 18-month spell in Saudi Pro League
Neymar has ended a disappointing spell in the Saudi Pro League, following a series of injuries that saw the Brazilian superstar sidelined by Al-Hilal following his €90 million signing for the Jeddah club in 2023 due to injury.
Once viewed as one of the world’s most promising footballers, his move to Al-Hilal saw him on the pitch for just 42 minutes this season.
Despite pocketing €225 million during his 18-month spell at the Saudi club, he played a bare 428 minutes of football in total, scoring one goal and making three assists, with both club and player deciding to part ways this week, six months earlier than expected.
“Al-Hilal Club Company and Neymar Jr have agreed to terminate their contractual relationship by mutual consent,” Al-Hilal posted on X.
His unfortunate injuries had affected his fitness and phenomenal abilities, with club manager Jorge Jesus saying Neymar was effectively no longer at the standard expected of the Saudi Pro League.
“Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to,” the Al-Hilal manager said. “Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
The Saudi Pro League has been noted for the huge sums spent by the kingdom’s top four clubs to attract some of the biggest names, with successes and some failures along the way.
Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema, and Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic have been three success stories, and despite their age they’ve added glitz and quality to the league that will likely inspire younger Saudi players for years to come.
Neymar clearly fits in the latter category with one renowned football magazine describing him as ‘the worst signing ever’. He is now set to move to Santos FC in Brazil, taking a 99 percent pay cut to play for his boyhood club.
Egypt narrowly miss out on World Handball semi-finals
Egypt’s men’s handball team were knocked out by France during the ongoing World Championships with a less than a second to go during their quarter-final match in Zagreb on Tuesday.
Luka Karabtic scored the winning shot from the half-way line with exactly 0.3 seconds left on the clock, shattering Egypt’s dreams of reaching the last four. The goal required a VAR check, which was then approved moments later.
The goal was deemed legitimate, prompting a shocked reaction from the Egyptian side, with many reduced to tears following their valiant effort during the second half of the game.
The match ended with 34 points to France, and 33 to Egypt.
The first half saw France dominate the game, with the Egyptian side making several errors. However, in the second half, the Pharaohs turned the game around following a change of tactics, which saw them drawing level at 32-32 just a minute before the final whistle.
Two more shots from each side were then scored, before Karabtic sent France to the semi-finals.
Coached by Juan Carlos Pastor, Egypt are relatively successful on the world handball stage, and are widely considered to be the most successful African team in the sport. The Pharaohs have reached the quarter-finals on eight occasions of the championship.
Their best result was in 2001, when they reached the semi-finals.
The 2025 competition was also historic for Egypt, as it marked the first time a World Handball Championship had two non-European countries reach the quarter-finals since 1999.
Cricket
The third edition of DP World International League T20 (ILT20) is well underway, with some of the world’s biggest stars in the UAE for the region’s biggest franchise cricket tournaments.
Sharjah’s Desert Vipers remain top of the league after nine games with 14 points, after beating the Gulf Giants in Dubai on Wednesday by five wickets.
English cricketer Max Holden scored an impressive 70 runs to help Desert Vipers secure the win, in a match that saw the Curran brothers – Sam and Tom who scored 64 for the Giants – competing on opposing sides.
The match was Holden’s debut for the Vipers and looks set to be a favourite for the Sharjah club.
“I am delighted to make my debut and that it went well. I have been watching the team from the sidelines, which has been a great experience to be around such great players and part of the Vipers,” he said after the match.
“Everyone is itching to get an opportunity to play so it was great to get that chance. Obviously, I was a bit nervous making a debut for a new team and I was keen to make a good impression.”
The ILT20 will soon move to the play-off stages with the top two teams, including the unbeaten Vipers, progressing to the Qualifier One and third and fourth placed teams competing in an eliminator match.
The final will be held held at Dubai International Stadium on 9 February wih James Foster’s Vipers one of the favourites to pick up the trophy.
