Why is Neymar Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo's face-off date at the Saudi League delayed?

Neymar Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo will not face each other in Friday's highly anticipated Saudi Pro League match, even though Neymar has recently regained fitness. 

After spending nearly a year recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the 32-year-old made an encouraging return last week with a brief appearance for Al-Hilal in the AFC Champions League against Al-Ain. However, as his team prepares to go up against Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, Neymar will not be participating in this particular Saudi Pro League matchup. Here’s the reason behind this decision.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar's Saudi Face off delayed 

The former Barcelona star is currently eligible to participate in the AFC Champions League, which has no limits on the number of foreign players. However, the situation is different for the Saudi Pro League. Due to a long-term injury that has prevented Neymar from being registered, he will only be able to compete in the league starting in January 2025. This means that fans will have to wait until at least April to see an exciting matchup between Neymar and Ronaldo, when Al-Hilal faces off against Al-Nassr.

Neymar is making a return to football, and the medical team of the Brazil Football Federation (CBF) is taking a cautious approach to ensure his full recovery. As a result, it’s anticipated that he won’t rejoin the national team until March, when he is expected to be at peak fitness.

Although Neymar will miss Al-Hilal's upcoming match against Al-Nassr on Friday—an exciting clash between first and third place—there’s a positive outlook for his participation in the game against Esteghlal FC on Monday, marking his potential comeback in the AFC Champions League.