Brazilian star Neymar, a player for Al-Hilal, has made his mark among the elite players in the Saudi Arabian football league.
He shared the spotlight in the sixth round with Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo from Al-Nassr, as Neymar played a crucial role in creating four of his team's six goals.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo claimed the top spot in the goal-scorers' list, marking another exciting chapter in the league.
In just four minutes, the former Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, who now plays for Al-Hilal, had a dazzling start, contributing to a goal spree against Riyadh's rival team.
This performance helped Al-Hilal regain the top position, previously held by Al-Nassr from Jeddah, whose French star Karim Benzema led them to a hard-fought victory in the previous match.
While Al-Ahli Jeddah bounced back after their setback against Al-Fateh, securing an exciting victory against Al-Taawoun, Al-Nassr claimed their fourth consecutive victory, maintaining their high-scoring pace.
The victim this time was Al-Raed, with goals shared among Senegalese player Sadio Mane, Brazilian returnee Anderson Talisca, and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who took the lead in the goal-scorers' chart with seven goals, ahead of his teammate Mane and Al-Hilal's captain Salem Al-Dawsari, both with six goals each.
Just a week after becoming the top scorer for the Brazilian national team with 79 goals, surpassing the legendary Pelé, Neymar, aged 31, continued to shine, confirming his readiness for the upcoming AFC Champions League competition, where Al-Hilal will start their campaign against Uzbekistan's Navbahor Namangan. He seeks his fifth title to further enhance his record in the continental tournament.
With his team leading 2-0 and the enthusiastic cheers of Al-Hilal fans in the background, Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus substituted his talented compatriot Delgado with Neymar in the 64th minute.
In just four minutes, Neymar began showcasing his magical touches, creating opportunities and making precise passes, resulting in four goals scored by Nasser Al-Dawsari, Malcom, and Salem Al-Dawsari twice.
In a brief video message posted on Al-Hilal's Twitter page, Neymar, who has previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Santos, expressed his happiness with his debut performance, his decisive assist, and the team's first win.
He said, "I am very happy with my first appearance, the decisive assist, and also the first win. We are together, and I'll see you next time."
According to Jesus, the strong support and interaction from the Al-Hilal fans played a significant role in Neymar's performance, saying, "The tremendous support and interaction from our fans are positive and inspiring for all the players, including Neymar."
Neymar's warm reception from the fans also caught the attention of the Brazilian newspaper "O Globo," which reported, "Chants in his name were heard in the stands, and a banner with his picture and the phrase 'The greatest scorer in Brazil throughout the ages' was raised."
While the Saudi national team, under the guidance of their new Italian coach Roberto Mancini, faced disappointment in international friendlies against Costa Rica and South Korea, questions have been raised by the Italian newspaper "Tuttosport" about Mancini's disappointing start in his new venture.
The paper stated that "Mancini's start in his new adventure has not been successful, and he faces a big task, especially in finding the right players in a league with many foreign players."
Saudi Arabia suffered defeats in friendly matches against Costa Rica and South Korea.
AFP