Rumor Mill: Neymar linked with Chicago Fire move
Neymar Jr. is reportedly in negotiations to join the Chicago Fire, according to various reports from Saudi Arabia and France. The legendary Brazilian attacker, who is currently with Saudi Pro League champion Al-Hilal, is set to leave the club ahead of the end of his contract in June 2025. The Fire have declined to comment on the reports.
The potential move first surfaced from Abdulwahab Al-Qahtani, who sources describe as an Al-Hilal insider. It was corroborated shortly thereafter by Santi Aouna and Hanif Ben Berkane of French outlet Foot Mercado, who say the Fire are looking for a two-year deal with the 32-year-old superstar. That report was later widely circulated by a number of outlets on both sides of the Atlantic.
Neymar, widely considered one of the greatest footballers to ever live, is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Pelé at the last World Cup in Qatar. Following stints at FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, he moved to the Saudi league in a high-profile, €90 million transfer that saw him become one of the highest-paid athletes in world history.
Since joining the club, Neymar appeared just three times in Saudi Pro League play, having sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last fall. Since returning from that injury, he has separately missed some time due to other minor injuries, prompting Al-Hilal's interest in moving on from the pricy attacker. Despite his injury woes, he is hoping to feature at the 2026 World Cup on American soil.
Even without Neymar's presence on the pitch, Al-Za'eem won the Saudi title comfortably, finishing 14 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. In addition to Neymar, Al-Hilal boasts such starpower as Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrović, João Cancelo, and Sergej Milinković-Savić.
Neymar has previously expressed some interest in a move to MLS, telling CNN this month that a reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez would be "incredible." His expensive salary, even if he takes a significant pay cut from the €100 million he earns annually in Saudi Arabia, necessitates that he would be a Designated Player in MLS. Miami currently don't have the luxury of a DP slot, given their current ex-Barcelona starpower.
Gregg Berhalter and the Fire are in the market for a DP winger with one of the club's two open slots. Since the takeover of Chairman Joe Mansueto in 2019, the Fire have established themselves as one of MLS' top spenders, even as the likes of Toronto FC, Inter Miami, and Atlanta United have continued to be competitive on the global market.
Tim Hotze also contributed to the reporting on this story.
