RIYADH: Brazil forward Neymar was officially presented at his new club Al-Hilal on Saturday with a big event at the King Fahd Stadium in Saudi Arabia.
Some 67,000 people were at the stadium to welcome the former Paris Saint-Germain player, who completed his transfer earlier this week.
"I'm very happy with this reception, with this new challenge. I'm impressed," Neymar said."I came to the biggest club in this country and I hope to be part of history. Let's enjoy, be happy. I will do everything for this club."
The GloboEsporte.com news portal reported that Al-Hilal distributed thousands of posters with Neymar's face, the number 10 and the phrase "welcome." Drones also projected Neyrma's face and the number 10 in the sky.
The player, however, won't play against Al-Fayha later on Saturday.
Neymar signed a contract for two seasons with the option to extend for another one. PSG reportedly received 90mn euros ($98mn) for the transfer. The Brazilian had moved to PSG from FC Barcelona in 2017 for a record sum of 222mn euros. However, the footballer never fully settled at the team and didn't have a good relationship with the fans, who in May gathered outside Neymar's luxury mansion to protest.
The move is the latest in a string of transfers to Saudi Arabian teams, along with stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané and others. The swaps into the Saudi Pro League have had a major impact on the transfer market this year, raking in hundreds of millions.
Critics see the country's massive investment in professional football and other sports as an attempt at bettering its image through top-level sports.
