Brazil's Unquestioned Superstar? Neymar's World Cup Race Against Time
As Ousmane Dembele received the 2025 Ballon d'Or in the autumn months, the Brazilian sensation was undergoing therapy for his third injury of the year - simultaneously participating in an online poker tournament.
The 33-year-old football star eventually placed as runner-up, earning around £73,800 in tournament winnings.
It was partial comfort on a day when he had to watch the player who once replaced him at Barcelona claim the award he had long hoped to win.
Since returning to his boyhood club Santos in the new year, the 33-year-old forward has fallen short of expectations, drawing more attention for episodes like this than for his football.
His return home after 12 seasons away was intended as a chance for him to return to peak condition and, crucially, rekindle a love of football that seemed lost after disappointing periods with Paris St-Germain and the Saudi club.
Conversely, it has been widely disappointing for everyone concerned.
This reflects the situation that the key issue being asked right now in Brazil is if Neymar will make it to the 2026 World Cup.
He's facing a deadline.
"All players have to prove that they are fit. The clock is ticking [for him]," Brazilian legend Tostao commented in his newspaper column.
On Wednesday, Brazil manager the Italian tactician disclosed his squad for the forthcoming matches against South Korea and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was absent.
"The Prince", as he was dubbed when received at Santos in a nod toward the king Pele, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been absent from the Selecao for 24 months.
He continues to be an fitness concern for the autumn fixtures, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with only two exhibition games in March 2026 to prove himself to Ancelotti before the announcement of the final list for the World Cup.
"Over a decade and a half, Neymar was Brazil's clear standout, shouldering massive pressure on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu stated.
"But nobody wins the World Cup alone. Putting all our expectations on him at the moment is challenging because he struggles to even play multiple matches in a row."
'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar'
Not only has Neymar had repeated injury problems since his homecoming - he's missed nearly half of Santos' matches this campaign - but, when he was available for selection, he was a far cry from the player who during his prime rivaled Lionel Messi and the Portuguese icon.
Of his nine goal contributions so far, half have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's top flight - a scoring contribution against a lower-league side, followed by a three goal involvements versus another lower-division opponent, all in the Sao Paulo State Championship.
As Santos battle against demotion in the top division, the playmaker no longer seems to be the difference maker he once was.
Despite that, Ancelotti has asserted that the forward has ample opportunity to show he is prepared for the World Cup.
"His goal must be to be prepared in June. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or March," the Italian told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti caused local controversy last month by allegedly attempting to protect Neymar, stating the star had been omitted from the team over physical condition issues.
But then Neymar himself disputed it, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has no connection to my physical condition."
In terms of public perception, it certainly didn't make it any better for Neymar.
"If the player we have placed all our hopes on to deliver the World Cup is excluded for performance issues, evidently there's a problem," Cafu commented.
Will Neymar be capable of emulating Ronaldo in 2002?
Polls from Datafolha found that the Brazilian public are split over whether Neymar should be selected for his fourth World Cup.
With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't improved his situation much with his in-game attitude either.
He seems more on edge than normal, having argued with fans on several occasions in stadiums - it occurred in three consecutive matches in mid-year.
The next month, the forward was reduced to crying after Santos suffered a 6-0 home defeat by their rivals - the worst result of his professional life.
When questioned by a reporter about his physical state in a post-match interview, he showed irritation: "Again with this, mate? I've answered this countless times already."
The similar query has been directed at his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's plan was to spend five months at Santos. For what? To recover. If Neymar was able to feature, so be it," he earlier stated, causing outrage among fans.
There's still a slight hope, however, that Neymar's prime period aren't over and that he will be able to return to prominence the same way forward Ronaldo "Phenomenon" did in the 2002 World Cup to overcome criticism and physical setbacks to guide Brazil to the World Cup title.
The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend notes parallels.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent appearance with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an overstatement from a minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery.
Anyone who have been in football knows perfectly how challenging it is to return from an injury and recover rhythm and confidence. He's moving forward."
The Santos star has a critical period ahead to show that he's not the prince who relinquished his status.
