Brazil's Undisputed Superstar? Neymar's World Cup Race Against Time
As the French winger claimed the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was undergoing therapy for his third injury of the year - while engaging in an online poker tournament.
The veteran Brazilian ace ultimately finished as runner-up, earning around seventy-three thousand pounds in tournament winnings.
It was some consolation on a day when he had to observe the player who previously succeeded him at Barcelona receive the award he had consistently dreamed 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 comparable situations than for his football.
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 diminished after frustrating spells with Paris St-Germain and Al Hilal.
Instead, it has been largely underwhelming for all parties involved.
This reflects the situation that the main question being asked right now in Brazil is if Neymar will be part of 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 wrote in his regular feature.
On Wednesday, Brazil manager the Italian tactician revealed his team selection for the upcoming games against Korea Republic and Japan and, yet again, Neymar was not in it.
"The Prince", as he was dubbed when welcomed back at Santos in a nod toward the king Pele, is yet to play under Ancelotti, having been absent from the Selecao for 24 months.
He also remains an fitness concern for the November games, which, in the worst scenario, will leave him with just a pair of exhibition games in spring 2026 to demonstrate his worth 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, shouldering huge responsibility on his own," Brazilian icon Cafu said.
"But no one wins the World Cup alone. Putting all our expectations on him at the present time is problematic because he struggles to even play three games in a row."
'If Neymar is left out for technical reasons, something isn't right'
Not only has Neymar had various physical concerns since his homecoming - he's been absent for nearly half of Santos' matches this campaign - but, when he was able to play, he was a far cry from the player who during his zenith rivaled the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese icon.
Of his nine goal contributions so far, half have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's first division - a scoring contribution against a lower-league side, followed by a goal and two assists versus Inter de Limeira, all in the regional competition.
As Santos fight relegation in the top division, the number 10 no longer seems to be the difference maker he previously represented.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti has maintained that the forward has sufficient months to show he is ready for the World Cup.
"His goal must be to be ready in June. It isn't crucial if he's in the squad in October, late autumn or spring," the coach told French media.
Ancelotti stirred local debate last month by reportedly trying to shield Neymar, stating the star had been omitted from the team over fitness concerns.
But then Neymar himself disputed it, saying he "was left out for technical reasons; 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 pinned our dreams on to win the World Cup is left out for performance issues, evidently there's a problem," Cafu said.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Polls from a leading polling institute found that Brazilians are divided over whether Neymar should be called up for his next global tournament.
With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't helped his case much with his conduct during matches either.
He seems increased agitation than normal, having exchanged words with fans on several occasions in stadiums - it occurred in successive games in mid-year.
The next month, the striker was reduced to crying after Santos suffered a 6-0 home defeat by Vasco da Gama - the worst result of his professional life.
When questioned by a reporter about his fitness condition in a post-match interview, he showed irritation: "This topic again, friend? I've responded to this 500 times already."
The identical inquiry has been directed at his father and agent Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's plan was to remain for five months at Santos. For what? To regain fitness. If Neymar was able to feature, amen," he earlier stated, causing displeasure among supporters.
There's continuing belief, however, that Neymar's peak years remain possible and that he will be able to resurrect his form the same way forward Ronaldo "Phenomenon" did in 2002 to surmount doubt and injuries to lead Brazil to the championship trophy.
The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend notes parallels.
"He's a essential player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo declared during a recent appearance with the forward in Sao Paulo.
"It's an misrepresentation from a small group who believe he's disregarding his physical recovery.
Those who have been in football knows perfectly how hard it is to recover from an injury and regain rhythm and confidence. He's right on track."
The Santos star has a important timeframe ahead to show that he's not the heir who stepped away from greatness.
