INDIA: Brazilian superstar Neymar has been placed in the same group for the Asian Champions League, potentially allowing Neymar to play his debut game on Indian soil.
Neymar, who signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Saudi club, will play at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune, which will serve as Mumbai City’s home for the competition. The group round starts on September 18, but the exact date of Al Hilal’s match in India remains unknown.
Other clubs in Group D with Mumbai City are FC Nassaji Mazandaran of Iran and Navbahor of Uzbekistan, in addition to Al Hilal, the most successful club in AFC Champions League history with four championships.
Neymar has signed a deal with Al Hilal for $97.8 million, joining other superstars in Saudi Arabia this year, as per reports. Al Hilal, led by Jorge Jesus, has other notable players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, and Malcom.
Neymar’s team will likely travel to India, while Ronaldo won’t be in India for the competition, as it’s against rules for two clubs from the same nation to compete in the same group. Mumbai City coach Des Buckingham expressed his team’s eagerness to play “the best in the world.”
Mumbai City, owned by Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group and Manchester City, had the best season in the Asian Champions League last year. They won twice against Iraqi Air Force and drew once with Al Jazira, earning seven points from six group games. However, only the top three second-place teams from the five West Zone groups could advance to the knockout rounds.
This isn’t the first time a star footballer is set to play in India. Pele captivated a large crowd in Kolkata in September 1977 when he travelled there with the New York Cosmos club to play against Mohun Bagan. Other notable footballers like Oliver Kahn and Alessandro del Piero have also competed in Kolkata, with Messi playing in 2011 against Venezuela.
However, these events have all occurred in friendly games, except for Del Piero’s participation in the Indian Super League. The Asian Champions League, a high-stakes, competitive match, is a unique experience for clubs around the Asian Continent to compete against different teams from the continent.
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