RIYADH: Neymar is not ready for an imminent return to play for Al-Hilal, the club’s head coach has announced.
The Brazilian star signed for the Riyadh team in August 2023 but played just five games when he underwent surgery after rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee while on international duty in October.
After Neymar, 32, returned to training in July, speculation grew that he was close to a return but coach Jorge Jesus dampened expectations in a post-match media conference.
“Neymar is an important player for Al-Hilal and the league in general,” Jesus, who led Al-Hilal to a 19th league title in May, said on Tuesday. “I can’t, however, specify a date as to when he will return but we will look at the situation in January.”
Neymar will be able to be registered by Al-Hilal in January for the second half of the Saudi Pro League (SPL ) season.
With SPL teams allowed to register a maximum of eight foreign players over the age of 21, Neymar’s place in the roster for the first half of the league campaign was taken by Marcos Leonardo, signed from Benfica earlier in September.
Upon return to fitness Neymar, whose two-year contract ends next August, is eligible, however, to appear in Al-Hilal’s ongoing AFC Champions League Elite campaign as the continental competition has no restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed.
Coach says Neymar is not ready for an imminent return to Al-Hilal
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Coach says Neymar is not ready for an imminent return to Al-Hilal
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
