The Brazilian Undisputed Superstar? Neymar's Global Tournament Countdown Challenge
As the French winger received the 2025 Ballon d'Or in the autumn months, the Brazilian sensation was undergoing therapy for his third injury of the year - simultaneously engaging in an virtual card tournament.
The veteran Brazilian ace ultimately finished as second place, securing around £73,800 in tournament winnings.
It was some consolation on a day when he had to observe the player who previously succeeded him at Barcelona lift the award he had consistently dreamed to win.
Since coming back to his youth team Santos in the new year, the experienced attacker has failed to live up to expectations, attracting 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 love of football that seemed lost after frustrating spells with PSG and the Saudi club.
Instead, it has been largely underwhelming for each stakeholder.
Such is the situation that the key issue being asked right now in Brazil is whether Neymar will participate in the upcoming global tournament.
He's running out of time.
"All players have to demonstrate that they are prepared. The time is passing [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 Korea Republic and the Asian nation and, once again, Neymar was absent.
"The Prince", as he was nicknamed when received at Santos in a nod toward the legend Pelé, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been missing from the national team for two years.
He continues to be an fitness concern for the autumn fixtures, 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 revealing of the final list for the World Cup.
"Over a decade and a half, Neymar was Brazil's unquestioned talisman, shouldering massive pressure on his own," former AC Milan and Roma legend Cafu said.
"But nobody wins the World Cup single-handedly. Putting all our hopes on him at the present time is challenging because he finds it hard 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 missed 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 peak 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 scoring contribution against Agua Santa, followed by a goal and two assists versus another lower-division opponent, all in the Sao Paulo State Championship.
As Santos battle against demotion in the top division, the number 10 no longer seems to be the decisive factor he previously represented.
Despite that, Ancelotti has asserted that the forward has sufficient months to show he is fit for the World Cup.
"His objective must be to be ready in June. It isn't crucial if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or spring," the Italian told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti caused local discussion 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 left out for tactical decisions; it has no connection to my physical condition."
In terms of fan opinion, it definitely didn't help for Neymar.
"If the player we have pinned our dreams on to win the World Cup is excluded for technical reasons, evidently issues exist," Cafu observed.
Will Neymar be capable of emulating Ronaldo in 2002?
Research from a leading polling institute found that Brazilians are split over whether Neymar should be selected for his next global tournament.
With his record tally, Neymar is Brazil's historical leading marksman, but he hasn't improved his situation much with his conduct during matches either.
He seems greater frustration than normal, having argued with fans repeatedly in stadiums - it occurred in three consecutive matches in July.
The next month, the striker was reduced to crying after Santos endured a 6-0 loss at home by their rivals - the heaviest defeat of his career.
When asked by a reporter about his physical state in a post-match interview, he became frustrated: "Again with this, friend? I've responded to this repeatedly already."
The similar query has been directed at his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's intention was to remain for five months at Santos. To what end? To regain fitness. If Neymar managed to play, so be it," he previously explained, causing outrage among supporters.
There's continuing belief, however, that Neymar's best days 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 overcome skepticism and physical setbacks to guide Brazil to the World Cup title.
The Brazilian great notes parallels.
"He's a crucial player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo said during a recent appearance with the forward in Sao Paulo.
"It's an misrepresentation from a small group who believe he's ignoring his physical recovery.
Anyone who have been in football recognize fully how hard it is to recover from an injury 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 prince who abandoned the throne.
