Brazil's Undisputed Superstar? Neymar Jr's World Cup Race Against Time
As Ousmane Dembele claimed the 2025 Ballon d'Or in the autumn months, Neymar was undergoing therapy for his third injury of the year - simultaneously engaging in an online poker tournament.
The veteran football star ultimately finished as second place, collecting around £73,800 in prize money.
It was partial comfort on a day when he had to witness the player who once replaced him at Barcelona claim the award he had consistently dreamed to win.
After coming back to his youth team Santos in the new year, the 33-year-old forward has failed to live up to expectations, drawing more attention for comparable situations than for his on-field performances.
His homecoming after 12 seasons away was intended as a chance for him to regain his form and, most importantly, revive a passion for the game that seemed gone after disappointing periods with Paris St-Germain and the Saudi club.
Conversely, it has been generally unsatisfactory for everyone concerned.
This reflects the situation that the key issue being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will participate in the 2026 World Cup.
He's facing a deadline.
"All players have to prove that they are prepared. The deadline approaches [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao stated in his newspaper column.
On midweek, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti disclosed his squad for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan and, once again, Neymar was excluded.
"The Prince", as he was nicknamed when received at Santos in a reference to the legend Pelé, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been absent from the Selecao for two years.
He continues to be an fitness concern for the autumn fixtures, which, in the worst scenario, will leave him with only two exhibition games in March 2026 to prove himself to Ancelotti before the announcement of the definitive squad for the World Cup.
"Over a decade and a half, Neymar was Brazil's undisputed star, carrying enormous expectations on his own," Brazilian icon Cafu remarked.
"But nobody wins the World Cup single-handedly. Placing all our expectations on him at the present time is difficult because he struggles to even play multiple matches in a row."
'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar'
Not only has Neymar had multiple fitness issues since his homecoming - he's missed nearly half of Santos' matches this season - but, when he was able to play, he was a far cry from the player who during his peak rivaled Lionel Messi and the Portuguese icon.
Of his several attacking returns so far, five have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's top flight - a scoring contribution against a lower-league side, followed by a goal and two assists versus Inter de Limeira, all in the Sao Paulo State Championship.
As Santos fight relegation in the top division, the playmaker no longer seems to be the game-changer he once was.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti has insisted that the forward has ample opportunity to show he is fit for the World Cup.
"His goal must be to be prepared in summer. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or March," the coach told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti stirred local controversy last month by reportedly trying to protect Neymar, suggesting the star had been excluded from the team over physical condition issues.
But then Neymar himself challenged the claim, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has no connection to my physical condition."
In terms of popular view, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have placed all our hopes on to win the World Cup is left out for technical reasons, clearly something isn't right," Cafu said.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Research from a leading polling institute found that Brazilians 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 conduct during matches either.
He seems increased agitation than normal, having argued with fans repeatedly in venues - it happened in three consecutive matches in July.
The following month, the forward was left in tears after Santos suffered a six-goal loss at home by their rivals - the biggest loss of his professional life.
When asked by a reporter about his fitness condition in a game aftermath discussion, he became frustrated: "Again with this, mate? I've answered this repeatedly already."
The identical inquiry has been directed at his father and agent Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's plan was to spend five months at Santos. To what end? To recover. If Neymar was able to feature, so be it," he earlier stated, causing anger among followers.
There's still a slight hope, however, that Neymar's prime period haven't ended and that he will be able to revive his career the same way striker Ronaldo "FenĂ´meno" did in the 2002 World Cup to surmount criticism and injuries to guide Brazil to the championship trophy.
The Brazilian great sees parallels.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent event with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an overstatement from a minority who believe he's ignoring his physical recovery.
Those who have been in football recognize fully how challenging it is to recover from an setback and recover form and self-belief. He's moving forward."
The Brazilian forward has a critical period ahead to show that he's not the prince who relinquished his status.
