A possible Neymar move to Major League Soccer could be picking up steam as the Al Hilal forward is in talks with three MLS teams including the Chicago Fire, according to ESPN. While there have been reports that Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto and head coach Gregg Berhalter were in Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Al Hilal, a source with knowledge of the situation confirms that was not the case.

The 32-year-old Brazilian hasn’t featured much for Al Hilal due to suffering injuries to his knee and hamstring and has not been registered in their squad for Saudi Pro League play, despite being eligible for their Asian Champions League matches. Neymar has only made seven appearances for Al Hilal since joining the club in 2023, registering one goal and two assists. Still not healthy from his current hamstring injury, the beginning of his tenure with any club would be a rehab stint. Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus confirmed they won’t be registering him due to not being able to perform at his normal level.

“It’s not easy. He’s coming back from an injury that kept him out of competition. When he was almost back, he got injured again. He’s a world-class player, but physically he hasn’t kept up with the team.”
(Translation: It’s not easy. He’s coming back from an injury that kept him out of the competition. When he was almost back, he got injured again. He’s a player that leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind, he’s a world-class player. But the truth is that physically he hasn’t been able to keep up with the team.)

The potential move has ignited rumors of a reunion with Messi at Inter Miami, where both have expressed interest in joining forces again. However, there are salary cap restrictions.

“We cannot talk about Ney because we have nothing about him. He’s a great player, but for us at the moment, it’s impossible…”
(Translation: We cannot talk about Ney because we have nothing about him. Obviously, Ney is a great player, and every coach in the world would want him, but at the moment, with the rules about the salary cap, it’s impossible.)

Furthermore, the Chicago Fire have Neymar’s discovery rights, giving them exclusive negotiation rights if he decides to come to MLS. This opens up challenges, as Neymar’s high salary demands reflect his current contract of $100 million per year—putting the Fire in a difficult position to negotiate within the confines of the MLS framework.

“A club is allowed to have up to five players on their discovery list at any time to give them exclusive negotiation rights with those players if they come to MLS.”
(Translation: A club can have a maximum of five players on their discovery list, which gives them exclusive negotiation rights if these players enter MLS.)

As Neymar aims for a spot in Brazil’s roster for the 2026 World Cup, his performance in MLS could be pivotal. With the upcoming transfer window on January 31, the prospect of him joining Major League Soccer is becoming increasingly tangible.