The Brazilian Unquestioned Superstar? Neymar's Global Tournament Race Against Time
As Ousmane Dembele claimed the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was undergoing therapy for his latest physical setback of the year - while participating in an online poker tournament.
The 33-year-old Brazilian ace ultimately finished as runner-up, earning around £73,800 in prize money.
It was limited solace on a day when he had to watch the player who previously succeeded him at Barcelona receive the award he had long hoped to win.
After coming back to his youth team Santos in January, the 33-year-old forward has fallen short of expectations, drawing more attention for episodes like this than for his on-field performances.
His homecoming after a dozen campaigns away was intended as a chance for him to rediscover his best and, most importantly, revive a passion for the game that seemed gone after disappointing periods with Paris St-Germain and Al Hilal.
Instead, it has been largely underwhelming for each stakeholder.
Such is the situation that the main question being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will participate in the 2026 World Cup.
He's against the clock.
"All players have to demonstrate that they are ready. The time is passing [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao wrote in his regular feature.
On Wednesday, Brazil manager the Italian tactician revealed his squad for the forthcoming matches against South Korea and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was not in it.
"The Prince", as he was dubbed when welcomed back at Santos in a nod toward the legend Pelé, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been absent from the national team for 24 months.
He also remains an injury doubt for the November games, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with just a pair of friendly matches in March 2026 to demonstrate his worth to Ancelotti before the announcement of the definitive squad for the World Cup.
"For 15 years, Neymar was Brazil's clear standout, carrying massive pressure on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu said.
"But nobody wins the World Cup single-handedly. Placing all our hopes on him at the moment is problematic because he finds it hard to even play three games in a row."
'Omission based on skill level signals deeper issues'
Not just has Neymar had repeated injury problems since his return to Brazil - he's been absent for 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 Cristiano Ronaldo.
Of his several attacking returns so far, five have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's top flight - a scoring contribution against Agua Santa, 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 number 10 no longer seems to be the decisive factor he previously represented.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti has asserted that the forward has plenty of time to show he is fit for the World Cup.
"His aim must be to be prepared in summer. It isn't crucial if he's in the squad in autumn, November or spring," the coach told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti caused local debate last month by reportedly trying to protect Neymar, stating the star had been excluded from the team over physical condition issues.
But then Neymar himself disputed it, saying he "was left out for tactical decisions; it has nothing to do with my fitness level."
In terms of fan opinion, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have pinned our dreams on to deliver the World Cup is left out for performance issues, evidently there's a problem," Cafu commented.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Polls from Datafolha found that Brazilians are divided over whether Neymar should be called up for his fourth World Cup.
With his record tally, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't improved his situation much with his in-game attitude either.
He seems greater frustration than usual, having confronted fans on several occasions in venues - it occurred in successive games in July.
The following month, the striker was emotional after Santos endured a 6-0 loss at home by their rivals - the biggest loss of his career.
When asked by a journalist about his fitness condition in a game aftermath discussion, he became frustrated: "Again with this, mate? I've responded to this repeatedly already."
The same kind of question has been directed at his father and agent Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's intention was to remain for a limited period at Santos. For what? To regain fitness. If Neymar was able to feature, amen," he earlier stated, causing anger among fans.
There's remaining optimism, however, that Neymar's peak years haven't ended and that he will be able to resurrect his form the same way striker Ronaldo "Phenomenon" did in the 2002 World Cup to surmount criticism and injuries to lead Brazil to the championship trophy.
The Brazilian great notes comparisons.
"He's a essential player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent appearance with the forward in Sao Paulo.
"It's an exaggeration from a small group who believe he's neglecting his fitness rehabilitation.
Those who have been in football understand completely how difficult it is to recover from an injury and regain form and self-belief. He's right on track."
The Brazilian forward has a few decisive months ahead to demonstrate that he's not the heir who relinquished his status.
