The Brazilian Undisputed Star? Neymar Jr's Global Tournament Race Against Time
As the French winger claimed the 2025 Ballon d'Or in the autumn months, Neymar was undergoing therapy for his latest physical setback of the year - simultaneously taking part in an online poker tournament.
The 33-year-old Brazilian ace eventually placed as second place, securing around £73,800 in tournament winnings.
It was partial comfort on a day when he had to witness the player who once replaced him at Barcelona lift the award he had consistently dreamed to win.
After returning to his boyhood club Santos in the new year, the experienced attacker has fallen short of expectations, drawing more attention for similar incidents than for his football.
His return home after 12 seasons away was intended as a chance for him to regain his form and, most importantly, restore a passion for the game that seemed lost after frustrating spells with PSG and Al Hilal.
Conversely, it has been largely underwhelming for all parties involved.
Such is the situation that the main question being asked right now in Brazil is if Neymar will be part of the upcoming global tournament.
He's against the clock.
"All players have to demonstrate that they are fit. The deadline approaches [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao wrote in his newspaper column.
On midweek, Brazil head coach the Italian tactician revealed his team selection for the upcoming games against Korea Republic and Japan and, once again, Neymar was absent.
"The Prince", as he was dubbed when received at Santos in a nod toward the legend Pelé, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been absent from the national team for two years.
He also remains an injury doubt for the autumn fixtures, 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, bearing massive pressure on his own," Brazilian icon Cafu said.
"But no one wins the World Cup single-handedly. Placing all our hopes on him at the moment is difficult because he struggles to even play three games in a row."
'Technical exclusion raises serious questions about Neymar'
Not just has Neymar had repeated injury problems since his return to Brazil - he's missed nearly half of Santos' matches this campaign - but, when he was able to play, he was a distant from the player who during his zenith dared to challenge the Argentine maestro and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Of his nine goal contributions so far, five have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's first division - a goal and assist against a lower-league side, followed by a goal and two assists versus another lower-division opponent, all in the regional competition.
As Santos battle against demotion in the Brazilian first tier, the number 10 no longer seems to be the decisive factor he previously represented.
Despite that, Ancelotti has maintained that the forward has sufficient months to show he is ready for the World Cup.
"His goal must be to be prepared in June. It isn't crucial if he's in the squad in October, November or March," the coach told French media.
Ancelotti caused local controversy last month by allegedly attempting to protect Neymar, claiming the star had been excluded from the team over physical condition issues.
But then Neymar himself challenged the claim, saying he "was excluded for technical reasons; 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 left out for technical reasons, evidently issues exist," Cafu observed.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Polls from a leading polling institute found that the Brazilian public are split over whether Neymar should be selected for his next global tournament.
With his 79 goals, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't improved his situation much with his behaviour on the pitch either.
He seems more on edge than normal, having argued with fans multiple times in venues - it happened in successive games in mid-year.
The following month, the forward was emotional after Santos suffered a six-goal loss at home by Vasco da Gama - the worst result of his professional life.
When questioned by a reporter about his physical state in a post-match interview, he became frustrated: "This topic again, mate? I've answered this repeatedly already."
The identical inquiry has been posed to his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's plan was to spend a limited period at Santos. For what? To recover. If Neymar was able to feature, amen," he previously explained, causing anger among followers.
There's continuing belief, however, that Neymar's peak years aren't over and that he will be able to return to prominence the same way striker Ronaldo "Fenômeno" did in 2002 to overcome skepticism and injuries to guide Brazil to the World Cup title.
The Brazilian great sees parallels.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo said during a recent event with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an misrepresentation from a minority who believe he's disregarding his physical recovery.
Those who have been in football knows perfectly how difficult it is to come back from an setback and recover rhythm and confidence. He's right on track."
The Brazilian forward has a critical period ahead to show that he's not the heir who relinquished his status.