Al Hilal superstar Neymar has sarcastically shot down competitiveness concerns following his move to Saudi Arabia, claiming the league might already be better than France’s Ligue 1.
After spending six seasons at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Neymar signed a two-year deal with Saudi Pro League (SPL) side Al Hilal in August. The player has been named in Brazil’s latest squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia (September 8) and Peru (September 12), but doubts remain over his preparedness.
Neymar dismisses competitiveness concerns
During a press event on Thursday (September 7), Neymar was asked whether or not he would get enough competitive action in Saudi to be in top shape for Brazil. The 31-year-old produced a sarcastic retort, suggesting the Saudi Pro League might have already surpassed Ligue 1 in terms of competitiveness.
“I assure you that soccer there [in Saudi Arabia] is the same,” said Neymar (via GOAL).
“The ball is round, there’s a goal, and if you look at the names that have gone to the Saudi league… I don’t know whether it is better than the French league or not.”
He continued:
“I want to win titles for Al-Hilal, my head won’t change much. Everyone said the same when I went to France [about competitiveness], and it was the place I was hit the most in my life.
“I am sure that it won’t be easy to win the Saudi championship, other teams got stronger, have famous players. It will be very interesting and I am sure you will be watching.”
Saudi Pro League have some of the best players in the world right now
Saudi Pro League has grown by leaps and bounds since January to become one of the most competitive leagues in the business. In January, Al Nassr kicked things off by signing Cristiano Ronaldo. In the summer transfer window, the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, and, of course, Neymar joined the league, drastically improving its entertainment quotient.
If all the stars in the league can play up to their sky-high wages, it would not be surprising to see SPL surpass Ligue 1 and become one of the most-watched leagues in the world.
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