Neymar’s arrival in Major League Soccer could be gaining momentum as the Al Hilal forward is in talks with three MLS teams, including the Chicago Fire, according to ESPN. The 32-year-old Brazilian has not played much for Al Hilal due to suffering knee and hamstring injuries, but given his pedigree and name recognition, many teams would be interested in his services if he were available. .
The most obvious choice would be Inter Miami, where Neymar has talked about wanting to reunite with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, and Suárez has also talked about how he would love to play with Neymar again. The trio set the soccer world alight when they were together in Barcelona about a decade ago, but Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano He minimized the possibility during the MLS press day.
“We can’t talk about Ney because we don’t have anything about him,” Mascherano said. “Obviously, Ney is a great player, everyone or every coach in the world wants him, but at this moment, you know the rules, the MLS rules on the salary cap. So, for us at this moment, it is impossible …”
The important words are “at this moment.” since then the MLS has already revealed a new mechanism that teams can use to obtain funds in national transfers, there is nothing that prevents Inter Miami from paying salaries to search for players if they wish. Chicago has been busy with Gregg Berhalter preparing for the season, but the club only has one designated player currently, so it would be easy for them to add any player they could convince to join their project.
Of course, convincing Neymar and finding a suitable solution with Al Hilal is not an easy task and that is what any team would have to do to incorporate him. Then you also have to balance that expense with your injury history. Neymar has only made seven appearances for Al Hilal since joining the club in 2023, registering one goal and two assists. Still not recovered from his current hamstring injury, the start of his tenure at any club would be a period of rehabilitation.
While Neymar would surely be gunning for a place with Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, getting back to his best for a club will be key to achieving that. There appears to be a growing possibility that spot will be in Major League Soccer, where the transfer window will open on January 31.
