SOCCER
Will Neymar play against Cristiano Ronaldo in Al Nassr vs Al Hilal?
After a year out with an ACL injury, Neymar has made his playing comeback for Al Hilal, who now visit Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Although Al Nassr’s ranks boast Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest scorer in the history of men’s soccer, it is Al Hilal who are firmly established as the top club in the Saudi game. Throughout the Portugal captain’s time in the Saudi Pro League - a competition he joined in a 2022 deal that has paved the way for other major soccer stars to leave Europe for the Middle Eastern kingdom - Al Hilal have been a nigh-on unstoppable domestic force.
Heading into matchday nine of the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League season, Al Hilal lead the table with eight wins from eight, with 10-goal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic at the top of the scoring charts - ahead of not only Ronaldo, but also Al Ittihad‘s Karim Benzema. And in further good news for Jorge Jesus’s team, they have now welcomed Neymar back from injury, following the former Barcelona and PSG forward’s recovery from an ACL tear suffered 12 months ago.
Al Hilal face Al Nassr in heavyweight Saudi Pro League bout
In one of the most attractive clashes in the Saudi game, Al Hilal face off with Al Nassr on Friday, in a match-up that stands to play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the league title race. What’s more, Ronaldo goes into the game bidding to bounce back from his midweek penalty miss in a King’s Cup tie with Al Tawawoun. The 39-year-old’s spot-kick failure, in the 96th minute of the last-16 match, sealed a 1-0 defeat for Al Nassr.
As Al Hilal prepare to do battle with Ronaldo and Co. in Riyadh, the question on many soccer lovers’ lips is: having returned to fitness, and even been able to appear as a second-half substitute in his team’s AFC Champions League tie with Al Ain on October 21, will Neymar go head to head with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner? The answer, unfortunately for fans of Al Hilal and their star player, is no.
Given the severity of Neymar’s injury, Al Hilal did not register the 32-year-old for Saudi Pro League action before the season began in August. In the domestic top flight, he will not be eligible to play for the 19-time Saudi champions until January, when the registration window reopens.
Al Nassr vs Al Hilal: start time, how to watch
The 2024/25 Saudi Pro League matchday-nine game between Al Nassr and Al Hilal takes place at Al Awal Park at King Saud University on Friday November 1, 2024, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the clash on Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Deportes and DAZN USA.
If you don‘t have cable, you can stream Fox’s coverage live on the online platform fubo, which offers new users a free introductory trial.
While Al Hilal sit top of the league, Al Nassr are third - six points off the leaders - after five wins and three draws.