Neymar was welcomed on Saturday by thousands of fans transfixed with admiration from the Al-Hilal club in Saudi Arabia, where the star striker has decided to continue his career like other stars of world football.

Flares, lasers and fireworks lit up the sky of Riyadh when the “Ney”, wearing the blue outfit of his new club, arrived on the lawn of the King-Fahd international stadium in the Saudi capital, with a capacity of 68,000 seats.

Neymar, 31, signed a two-year contract with Al-Hilal after six seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, where he won five French league titles.

All smiles, he greeted the crowd while the inscription “Neymar is blue” was displayed above the stadium by a drone device. Two other recent signings, Brazilian Malcom and Moroccan international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, have also made their appearance at Al-Hilal FC.

Transferred from PSG for around a hundred million euros, including bonuses, the Brazilian N.10 joins a galaxy of world football stars that the kingdom has been able to attract to its Saudi Pro League in recent months.

Neymar has negotiated an annual salary of €100m, according to a source familiar with the deal. After his presentation, he attended the league match between his club and Al-Fayha in the stands. He is expected to make his debut on Thursday at Al-Raed.