Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Brazilian magician Neymar Jr is set to play his first-ever match in India when his new club Al-Hilal faces off against Indian Super League (ISL) side Mumbai City FC in the AFC Champions League West.
The most successful team in the history of the tournament with four titles in their name, Al-Hilal's name came up against Mumbai City FC in the AFC Champions League West draw on Thursday.
Both Al-Hilal and Mumbai City FC are part of Group D, which has Iranian club FC Nassaji Mazandaran and Uzbek club PFC Navbahor Namangan as its other two members.
Indian fans can hope for a treat as Al-Hilal will be looking to add to their titles, having bolstered their side significantly in the summer transfer window.
The Saudi side not only have Neymar, but have also added several veterans of European football—Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Yassine Bounou—to their ranks amid the ongoing revolution in the Saudi Pro League, which has collectively spent over $800 million in transfers so far this season.
Al-Hilal and Mumbai City FC will face each other twice in the Group stage, once at the 68,000-seater King Fahd International Stadium in in Riyadh, and once at the the 12,000-seater Balewadi Stadium in Pune.
While the dates of the matches are yet to be announced, the excitement is already palpable.
Minutes after the draw was announced, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with users posting about Neymar coming to Pune.
"God take me to Pune. Neymar gonna be just 1224 km away," wrote one user.
"The sight of Neymar tumbling at the slightest of touches at Balewadi in Pune, rolling down the ghats straight to Mumbai airport..!," joked another.
For the uninitiated, Neymar is known as much for his theatrics on the pitch as he is for his footballing skills.