When it appeared that Coritiba had announced the signing of Neymar on their website on Friday night, fans might have started to get excited.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Coritiba announce Neymar signingClub website hackedStar's tough time in Saudi Arabia continuesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Brazilian Serie B side had to quickly dampen the mood and reveal the truth that their website had been hacked and they were not going to be signing the country's all-time leading goalscorer. The post on the website claimed Neymar had agreed to join at the end of his contract with Al-Hilal this summer and would aim to return to the club to the top flight of Brazilian football.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Neymar has not agreed to sign with Coritiba, and soon after the fake post was uploaded to the club's website, Coritiba's IT team had the website shut down and back under control, with the post deleted. Neymar has been linked with a move back to Brazil after his contract with the Saudi Arabian club expires, although he is more likely to switch to his boyhood club Santos. The Brazilian's time in Riyadh has been a disaster with injuries limiting his playing time drastically, but he did make a scoring return recently and has time to turn his fortunes around.
DID YOU KNOW?
Coritiba are not the first club to suffer from a hacking incident. In May 2024, Fluminense announced on their website that they had signed Manchester City's Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland after "intense negotiations and a great effort from our board". Although to the disappointment of the Brazilian fans again, it was just another hacker.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?
Neymar has reportedly given the 'green light' to a return to Brazil via Santos and could seek a move away from Saudi Arabia as early as this month. The Brazilian's contract with Al-Hilal runs until summer of this year but he may choose to forgo those earnings in favour of an early return to his boyhood club. The prospect of playing for again for Santos and preparing for the World Cup could prove too tempting.
