The Brazilian Unquestioned Superstar? Neymar Jr's Global Tournament Race Against Time
While the French winger was crowned the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was undergoing therapy for his third injury of the year - simultaneously engaging in an online poker tournament.
The veteran Brazilian ace ultimately finished as second place, securing around seventy-three thousand pounds in tournament winnings.
It was limited solace on a day when he had to watch the player who previously succeeded him at Barcelona claim the award he had long hoped to win.
After coming back to his youth team Santos in the new year, the 33-year-old forward has fallen short of expectations, attracting more attention for comparable situations than for his on-field performances.
His homecoming after 12 seasons away was meant to be a chance for him to regain his form and, most importantly, restore a passion for the game that seemed gone after frustrating spells with PSG and the Saudi club.
Instead, it has been generally unsatisfactory for all parties involved.
Such is the situation that the primary concern being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will participate in the upcoming global tournament.
He's against the clock.
"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 head coach the Italian tactician revealed his squad for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan and, yet again, Neymar was excluded.
"O Principe", as he was dubbed when received at Santos in a nod toward the legend Pelé, is yet to play under Ancelotti, having been missing from the Selecao for two years.
He also remains an injury doubt for the November games, which, in the worst scenario, will leave him with only two friendly matches in spring 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 unquestioned talisman, carrying massive pressure on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu stated.
"But nobody wins the World Cup alone. Placing all our expectations on him at the moment is challenging because he finds it hard to even play multiple matches in a row."
'If Neymar is left out for technical reasons, something isn't right'
Not only has Neymar had repeated injury problems since his return to Brazil - 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 competed with the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese icon.
Of his nine goal contributions so far, five have come against teams from lower tiers than 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 regional competition.
As Santos battle against demotion in the top division, the number 10 no longer seems to be the decisive factor he previously represented.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti has insisted that the forward has sufficient months to show he is prepared for the World Cup.
"His aim must be to be prepared in June. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in October, November or spring," the coach told French media.
Ancelotti created local controversy last month by reportedly trying to shield Neymar, claiming the star had been omitted from the team over fitness concerns.
But then Neymar himself challenged the claim, saying he "was excluded for technical reasons; it has no connection to my fitness level."
In terms of public perception, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have placed all our hopes on to deliver the World Cup is left out for performance issues, evidently issues exist," Cafu observed.
Will Neymar be capable of emulating Ronaldo in 2002?
Polls from a leading polling institute found that the Brazilian public are divided over whether Neymar should be selected for his fourth World Cup.
With his record tally, Neymar is Brazil's historical leading marksman, but he hasn't helped his case much with his conduct during matches either.
He seems more on edge than normal, having confronted fans on several occasions in venues - it occurred in successive games in mid-year.
The next month, the striker was reduced to crying after Santos endured a six-goal home defeat by Vasco da Gama - the biggest loss of his career.
When questioned by a journalist about his physical state in a game aftermath discussion, he became frustrated: "This topic again, mate? I've responded to this repeatedly already."
The same kind of question has been directed at his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's intention was to spend five months at Santos. For what? To regain fitness. If Neymar was able to feature, so be it," he previously explained, causing anger among supporters.
There's continuing belief, however, that Neymar's best days remain possible and that he will be able to resurrect his form the same way forward Ronaldo "Phenomenon" did in the 2002 World Cup to surmount criticism and injuries to lead Brazil to the World Cup title.
The Brazilian great sees similarities.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent event with the forward in Sao Paulo.
"It's an exaggeration from a minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery.
Those who have been in football recognize fully how hard it is to return from an setback and regain rhythm and confidence. He's right on track."
The Santos star has a critical period ahead to show that he's not the heir who stepped away from greatness.
