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Saudi Club Al-Hilal Says Contract with Neymar Has Been Terminated by Mutual Consent 

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 
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Saudi Club Al-Hilal Says Contract with Neymar Has Been Terminated by Mutual Consent 

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 

Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal said Monday it reached an agreement with striker Neymar to terminate his contract by mutual consent.

Neither side confirmed details of the termination after the 32-year-old Brazilian, once hailed as one of the world's best players, played only seven matches for the club, with only one goal and two assists.

Despite being sidelined since October 2023 due to an ACL injury, former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was part of the squad that won last season's Saudi league.

Their deal was due to expire after Al-Hilal's participation in this year's FIFA Club World Cup, which will be played between June 15 and July 13 in the United States.

The club said in a statement published on its social media channels that it “expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal.”

The striker joined the Saudi club from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 for 90 million euros ($94 million), in one of many transactions that placed the Kingdom as one of the new big soccer markets in the world. But Neymar picked up his ACL injury, the most serious of his career, playing for Brazil only months after he joined Al-Hilal.

Neymar returned in October and had his most recent appearance for the Saudi club in November. The Brazilian said in different interviews there were doubts on whether coach Jorge Jesus would count on him for the rest of the season.

Brazilian media has reported that Neymar and his father are interested in a six-month return to his boyhood club Santos, where he achieved national fame and his first caps for Brazil before he joined Barcelona in 2013.

Brazil national team coach Dorival Júnior has said since the end of last year that Neymar is not fully recovered for international soccer either. In March, his team will play against leader Argentina in South American World Cup qualifying, and Neymar is once again unlikely to play.

Neymar, Brazil's all-time top goal scorer with 79 goals in 125 matches, has said he is focused on getting more playing time so he can best prepare for the World Cup in North America next year, in what could be his last shot at winning the tournament.

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Morocco Coach Dismisses Aguerd Injury Talk, Backs Ait Boudlal ahead of Mali Test

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
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Morocco Coach Dismisses Aguerd Injury Talk, Backs Ait Boudlal ahead of Mali Test

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Morocco coach Walid Regragui has dismissed reports that defender Nayef Aguerd is injured, saying the center back was fit and ready for ​Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash against Mali.

"Who told you Aguerd is injured? He’s training as usual and has no problems," Regragui told reporters, Reuters reported.

Regragui confirmed captain Romain Saiss will miss the game with a muscle injury sustained against Comoros in their tournament ‌opener, while ‌full back Achraf Hakimi, ‌recently ⁠crowned ​African Player ‌of the Year, is recovering from an ankle problem sustained with Paris St Germain last month and could feature briefly. "Hakimi is doing well and we’ll make the best decision for him," Regragui said. The coach also heaped praise on 19-year-old ⁠defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, calling him "a great talent".

"I’ve been following ‌him for years. I called ‍him up a ‍year and a half ago when he was ‍a substitute at Rennes and people criticized me. Today everyone is praising him – that shows our vision is long-term," Regragui said. "We must not burn the ​player. We’ll use him at the right time. We’ll see if he starts tomorrow ⁠or comes in later."

Ait Boudlal echoed his coach's confidence.

"We know the responsibility we carry. Every game is tough and requires full concentration. We listen carefully to the coach’s instructions and aim to deliver a performance that meets fans’ expectations," he said.

Morocco opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over Comoros and will secure qualification with victory over Mali at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah ‌Stadium.

"It will be a tough match against a strong team," Regragui added.

Sports

Mali coach Saintfiet hits out at European clubs, FIFA over AFCON changes

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File
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Mali coach Saintfiet hits out at European clubs, FIFA over AFCON changes

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet on Thursday railed against the decision to play the Africa Cup of Nations every four years instead of two, insisting the move was forced upon the continent by FIFA and European clubs motivated by money.

"I am very shocked with it and very disappointed. It is the pride of African football, with the best players in African football," the Belgian told reporters in Rabat ahead of Friday's AFCON clash between Mali and Morocco, AFP reported.

"To take it away and make it every four years, I could understand if it was a request for any reason from Africa, but it is all instructed by the big people from (European governing body) UEFA, the big clubs in Europe and also FIFA and that makes it so sad."

Saintfiet, 52, has managed numerous African national teams including Gambia, who he led to the quarter-finals of the 2022 Cup of Nations.

He was appointed by Mali in August last year and on Friday will lead them out against current AFCON hosts in a key Group A game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The Cup of Nations has almost always been held at two-year intervals since the first edition in 1957 but Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe last weekend announced that the tournament would go ahead every four years after a planned 2028 tournament.

"We fought for so long to be respected, to then listen to Europe to change your history -- because this is a history going back 68 years -- only because of financial requests from clubs who use the load on players as the excuse while they create a World Cup with 48 teams, a Champions League with no champions," Saintfiet said.

"If you don't get relegated in England you almost get into Europe, it is so stupid," he joked.

"If you want to protect players then you play the Champions League with only the champions. You don't create more competitions with more load. Then you can still play AFCON every two years.

"Africa is the biggest football continent in the world, all the big stars in Europe are Africans, so I think we disrespect (Africa) by going to every four years.

"I am very sad about that -- I hoped that the love for Africa would win over the pressure of Europe."

Sports

My Grandfather Encouraged Me to Play for Algeria, Luca Zidane Says

Algeria's goalkeeper #23 Luca Zidane reacts during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group E football match between Algeria and Sudan at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
Algeria's goalkeeper #23 Luca Zidane reacts during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group E football match between Algeria and Sudan at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
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My Grandfather Encouraged Me to Play for Algeria, Luca Zidane Says

Algeria's goalkeeper #23 Luca Zidane reacts during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group E football match between Algeria and Sudan at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
Algeria's goalkeeper #23 Luca Zidane reacts during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group E football match between Algeria and Sudan at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on December 24, 2025. (AFP)

Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, said his grandfather had supported him in switching international allegiance to Algeria, after playing for France at junior level.

Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as one of the greatest French footballers, inspiring his country to their first World Cup victory in 1998 and scoring two goals in the 3-0 win over Brazil in the final in Paris. The midfielder also guided them to the Euro 2000 trophy, achieving an unprecedented double for Les Bleus.

The decision to switch nationalities by Luca, who chose to avoid comparisons with ‌his father from ‌an early age by opting to play as ‌a ⁠goalkeeper, came as ‌a surprise, especially since he made it at the age of 27.

He quickly became Algeria's first-choice keeper, and his father watched him play against Sudan in Vladimir Petković's side's opening Africa Cup of Nations Group E match on Wednesday, which they won 3-0.

Zidane was not tested much during the match, but he did make an important save from a dangerous chance that fell to Yaser Awad with the score at ⁠1-0.

"When I think of Algeria, I remember my grandfather. Since childhood, we’ve had this Algerian culture in the ‌family," Zidane told BeIN Sports France.

"I spoke to ‍him before playing for the national ‍team, and he was extremely happy about this step. Every time I receive ‍an international call-up, he calls me and says that I made a great decision and that he is proud of me."

He said his father had also backed his decision. "He supported me," Luca said. "He said to me ‘Be careful, this is your choice. I can give you advice, but in the end, the final decision will be yours'.

"From the moment the coach and the federation ⁠president reached out to me, it was clear that I wanted to go and represent my country. After that, I naturally spoke with my family, and they were all happy for me."

Zinedine Zidane, who was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final in Germany which they lost to Italy on penalties, won the Champions League in 2002 with Real Madrid and claimed the Ballon d'Or award in 1998.

His son, who plays in Spain for Granada after starting his career at Real Madrid, has always worn a shirt bearing the name Luca, but he decided his national team jersey would carry the name Zidane.

"So for me, being able to honor ‌my grandfather by joining the national team is very important," he said. "The next jersey with the name on it will be for him."