The Chicago Fire have held discussions to sign Brazilian star Neymar, according to multiple sources who have been briefed on the talks, but a deal to bring the former Barcelona and PSG forward to the United States remains unlikely.
Sources cautioned that MLS is not currently a priority for Neymar and his family, despite the exploratory dialogue between his camp and representatives of the Fire.
Neymar, 32, is out of contract with Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal this summer. The Brazilian has made just seven appearances with Al Hilal, scoring one goal, in 18 months since his transfer from PSG. He has made just two substitute appearances since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee while playing for Brazil in October 2023.
On Thursday, Al Hilal head coach Jorge Jesus said that the Brazilian had “not been able to keep up with the team physically” amid questions on his future.
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“As far as Neymar goes, it’s not an easy situation,” Jesus said. “He had an injury that kept him out of the competition, and got injured again just when he was coming back. No one doubts him as a player. He’s world class.
“But the truth is that he has not been able to keep up with the team physically. It’s not easy. We had to take two or three players out of the squad to be able to register him in the Asian Champions League squad.
“There’s only one competition in which he’s not registered: the league. There are two competitions and he’s not registered in one of them. I’m sure that he will decide upon his future. He has a contract with Al-Hilal. It is not up to me to say something about his personal circumstances. There’s no issue, even if he’s not in the squad today.”
Once one of the most exciting players on the planet, the winger is Brazil’s all-time top scorer, netting 79 goals in 128 appearances with the national team, and has played in three World Cups. He scored more than 100 goals across all competitions with Barcelona from 2013-17 and added another 118 goals with PSG from 2017-23.
Reports indicated the Fire were willing to pay in the region of what Messi makes for Inter Miami. Messi has a base salary of $12million (€11.7m) with guaranteed compensation rising above $20m (€19.4m), according to the MLS Players Association salary release. Messi’s contract also includes several other significant add-ons, most notably a purchase option for a percentage ownership in Inter Miami when he is done playing. He also has side contracts with partners like Apple, Adidas and Fanatics that factored into his compensation when signing in MLS.
Neymar is reportedly making around €100m ($103m) per year, annually, in Saudi Arabia.
Foot Mercato first reported the discussions between Neymar and Chicago.
“In a recent interview with CNN, Neymar said it would be “incredible” to reunite with his former teammates Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami.
“Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible,” Neymar said. “They are my friends. We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I’m happy at Al Hilal, I’m happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises.”
Miami, however, does not have room to add Neymar as a designated player, as outlined by coach Javier Mascherano.
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The Fire are owned by Joe Mansueto, the billionaire founder of Morningstar, Inc. Throughout Mansueto’s ownership tenure — he took full ownership of the team in 2019 — they have shown a huge amount of ambition in player spend, dishing out millions on transfer fees and salary. That includes a significant outlay for Xherdan Shaqiri, who fell far short of expectations while with Chicago.
The Fire has a history of globally-recognized stars beyond Shaqiri. Bastian Schweinsteiger played in Chicago from 2017-19, while Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov was with the Fire from 2000-02 and Mexican star Cuauhtémoc Blanco played in Chicago from 2007-09.
Chicago is also making a huge push for renewed relevance in the city. They moved back to play at Soldier Field in the city in 2020 and will open a training facility in the city later this year. The Fire are also in talks to build a new soccer-specific stadium in Chicago, as well, like in The 78, near the South Loop neighborhood.
Signing a superstar of Neymar’s caliber would certainly give Chicago a huge boost within the market and within the U.S., and playing in Soldier Field with a capacity of 61,500 would also provide some flexibility in terms of how much revenue Chicago could bring in on gamedays in order to justify a costly acquisition. Soldier Field has sold out twice for Inter Miami visits to see Messi play, and soccer remains a top draw in the city for summer friendlies featuring teams like Real Madrid and AC Milan.
The Fire are currently coached by former U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter, who was hired as coach and director of football at the end of 2024.
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(Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)
