The Saudi Pro League has been transformed in recent months due to an influx of major signings, with Neymar's move to Al Hilal the 2023 headline act.
After failing to land the Brazilian's former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe, the club launched a second raid on the Parc des Princes to secure the 31-year-old Brazil star.
The move to bring Neymar to the Middle East marks another key benchmark for the Saudi Pro League. He still holds the title of the most expensive football transfer following his 2017 switch from Barcelona to PSG and is now Brazil's all-time record goalscorer.
However, despite the fanfare surrounding his move, injuries have disrupted Neymar's start to life in Saudi Arabia and he is yet to make his debut in the division.
The Sporting News looks at the latest updates on his fitness ahead of this week's match between Al Hilal and Al Riyadh.
MORE: All Saudi transfers involving big-name players: List of stars to move to Pro League
Is Neymar playing today vs. Al Riyadh?
Neymar arrived in Saudi Arabia still recovering from ankle surgery after a series of injuries ended his 2022/23 season early in Paris.
Al Hilal head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed the club had no long-term concerns over Neymar's fitness and indicated he would be ready for a club debut in mid-September.
Jesus indicated his frustration at Neymar being called up for Brazil duty in the September international window, with the forward not playing any match action since February.
However, after completing 90 minutes in the 5-1 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia on September 8, a refreshed Neymar broke the Brazil national team all-time goal record.
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) September 9, 2023
That was followed up by an assist for Marquinhos' 90th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory in Peru four days later, before he was substituted in the final seconds.
After successive appearances for the national team, with no reported setbacks, Neymar has been named as a substitute ahead of a likely Al Hilal debut at home to Al Riyadh on September 15.
📋 Lineup CONFIRMED ✅#AlHilal 💙#AlHilal_AlRiyadh ⚽️#RoshnSaudiLeague 💫
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) September 15, 2023
All the best 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/TrjjvAAigu
Neymar transfer fee: How much did Al Hilal pay?
With Neymar's relationship at PSG continuing to deteriorate, the Ligue 1 champions were open to sale ahead of the 2023/24 season, with Saudi Arabia his only realistic option.
Following the Mbappe saga, Al Hilal's offer of €90 million ($98.3m/£77.6m) was accepted by PSG on August 14 as part of quickfire negotiations.
As per reports from CBS Sports, Al Hilal agreed a two-year contract with Neymar featuring a $219m salary.
What time does Al Hilal vs Al Riyadh kick off?
This Saudi Pro League clash takes place at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and kicks off on Friday, September 15 at 9:00 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Fri Sep. 15 | 2:00 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Fri Sep. 15 | 2:00 p.m. ET |
| UK | Fri Sep. 15 | 7:00 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Sat Sep. 16 | 4:00 a.m. AEST |
| India | Fri Sep. 15 | 11:30 p.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Sat Sep. 16 | 2:00 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Sat Sep. 16 | 2:00 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Sat Sep. 16 | 2:00 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Sat Sep. 16 | 6:00 a.m. NZDT |
MORE: Premier League fixtures for 2023/24 season
Al Hilal vs Al Riyadh live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV channel | Streaming |
| USA | FOX Soccer Plus, Fox Soccer Deportes | Fubo, Fox Soccer app/website |
| Canada | — |
— |
| UK | — | DAZN |
| Australia | — | Shahid |
| India | — | Shahid |
| Hong Kong | — | Shahid, SPOTV |
| Malaysia | — | Shahid, SPOTV |
| Singapore | — | Shahid, SPOTV |
| New Zealand | — | Shahid |