Neymar's €101m Al-Hilal Salary and 42-Minute Stat

Neymar's brief return to football in 2024 came with an extraordinary financial statistic, as the Brazilian reportedly earned around €101 million from Al-Hilal despite playing just 42 minutes throughout the year.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star made only two appearances for the Saudi club in 2024, both in the AFC Champions League. He came off the bench against Al Ain before making another substitute appearance against Esteghlal.

In total, Neymar spent just 42 minutes on the pitch across those two matches. He did not score or provide an assist in either game.

According to calculations published by French outlet Foot Mercato, Neymar's reported €101 million earnings for 2024 worked out at approximately €2.4 million for every minute he played.

The numbers become even more unusual when his touches are considered. Neymar touched the ball 45 times across the two matches. Dividing the reported €101 million by those 45 touches produces approximately €1.12 million per touch.

That figure does not mean Al-Hilal literally paid Neymar €1.12 million every time he touched the ball. It is simply a calculation comparing his reported annual earnings with his limited playing time and number of touches.

Neymar's limited involvement was largely linked to injury. He had suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Brazil in October 2023 and spent almost a year away from competitive football. After returning in October 2024, he suffered another injury in November that kept him out again.

Neymar eventually left Al-Hilal in January 2025 after making only seven competitive appearances for the club since his 2023 move from PSG.

The €101 million figure therefore makes for an eye-catching statistic, but the “€2.2 million per touch” claim circulating online is not supported by the underlying calculation. The reported figure is closer to €1.12 million per touch.