Brazil's Unquestioned Star? Neymar's Global Tournament Race Against Time
While Ousmane Dembele was crowned the 2025 Ballon d'Or in late September, Neymar was receiving treatment for his latest physical setback of the year - simultaneously engaging in an virtual card tournament.
The 33-year-old Brazilian ace eventually placed as second place, collecting 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 consistently dreamed to win.
Since 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 return home after 12 seasons away was meant to be a chance for him to return to peak condition and, crucially, rekindle a love of football that seemed lost after frustrating spells with PSG and the Saudi club.
Instead, it has been generally unsatisfactory for everyone concerned.
Such is 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 running out of time.
"All players have to prove that they are prepared. The deadline approaches [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao commented in his newspaper column.
On midweek, Brazil head coach the Italian tactician disclosed his squad for the upcoming games against South Korea and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was not in it.
"O Principe", as he was nicknamed when received at Santos in a reference to the legend Pelé, is yet to play under Ancelotti, having been missing from the national team for two years.
He also remains an injury doubt for the autumn fixtures, which, in the most pessimistic outlook, will leave him with only two friendly matches in spring 2026 to demonstrate his worth 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 huge responsibility on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu said.
"But no one wins the World Cup alone. Putting all our expectations on him at the moment is challenging because he finds it hard to even play three games in a row."
'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar'
Not just has Neymar had various physical concerns since his homecoming - he's been absent for nearly half of Santos' matches this season - 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, five have come against teams from lower tiers than Brazil's first division - 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 fight relegation in the top division, the number 10 no longer seems to be the decisive factor he once was.
Despite that, Ancelotti has maintained that the forward has sufficient months to show he is fit for the World Cup.
"His objective must be to be ready in summer. 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, suggesting the star had been excluded from the team over fitness concerns.
But then Neymar himself contradicted this, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has nothing to do with my fitness level."
In terms of public perception, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have pinned our dreams on to deliver the World Cup is excluded for technical reasons, obviously something isn't right," Cafu commented.
Will Neymar be capable of emulating Ronaldo in 2002?
Research from Datafolha found that the Brazilian public are split over whether Neymar should be included for his fourth World Cup.
With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's historical leading marksman, but he hasn't improved his situation much with his conduct during matches either.
He seems more on edge than normal, having argued with fans repeatedly in stadiums - it happened in three consecutive matches in July.
The next month, the forward was emotional after Santos endured a six-goal loss at home by Vasco da Gama - the worst result of his career.
When asked by a reporter about his fitness condition in a post-match interview, he showed irritation: "Again with this, friend? I've answered this countless times already."
The similar query has been directed at his father and agent 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 prime period remain possible and that he will be able to resurrect his form the same way forward Ronaldo "FenĂ´meno" did in 2002 to overcome skepticism and injuries to guide Brazil to the World Cup title.
The Brazilian great sees similarities.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo declared during a recent event with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an exaggeration from a small group who believe he's neglecting his fitness rehabilitation.
Anyone who have been in football knows perfectly how challenging it is to come back from an setback and regain rhythm and confidence. He's moving forward."
The Brazilian forward has a few decisive months ahead to demonstrate that he's not the prince who stepped away from greatness.
