Brazil's Undisputed Star? Neymar's World Cup Race Against Time
As Ousmane Dembele claimed the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was lying in bed for his third injury of the year - simultaneously participating in an online poker tournament.
The veteran Brazilian ace ultimately finished as second place, collecting around seventy-three thousand pounds in tournament winnings.
It was some consolation on a day when he had to watch the player who once replaced him at Barcelona claim the award he had long hoped to win.
Since returning to his youth team Santos in the new year, the 33-year-old forward has failed to live up to expectations, attracting more attention for similar incidents than for his football.
His return home after a dozen campaigns away was meant to be a chance for him to return to peak condition and, crucially, revive a passion for the game that seemed lost after disappointing periods with PSG 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 if Neymar will be part of the upcoming global tournament.
He's against the clock.
"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 manager the Italian tactician announced his squad for the upcoming games against Korea Republic and Japan and, once again, Neymar was excluded.
"O Principe", as he was nicknamed when welcomed back at Santos in a reference to the king Pele, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been missing from the Selecao for two years.
He also remains an injury doubt for the November games, which, in the worst scenario, will leave him with just a pair of friendly matches in spring 2026 to demonstrate his worth to Ancelotti before the revealing of the definitive squad for the World Cup.
"Over a decade and a half, Neymar was Brazil's clear standout, bearing massive pressure on his own," Brazilian icon Cafu said.
"But nobody wins the World Cup alone. Placing all our hopes on him at the moment is difficult because he has difficulty to even play multiple matches in a row."
'Omission based on skill level signals deeper issues'
Not only has Neymar had multiple fitness issues since his return to Brazil - he's been absent for 47% of Santos' matches this campaign - but, when he was available for selection, he was a distant from the player who during his zenith rivaled the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese icon.
Of his several attacking returns so far, half have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's top flight - a goal and assist against a lower-league side, followed by a goal and two assists versus another lower-division opponent, all in the Sao Paulo State Championship.
As Santos fight relegation in the Brazilian first tier, the number 10 no longer seems to be the difference maker he previously represented.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti has insisted that the forward has plenty of time to show he is prepared for the World Cup.
"His objective must be to be ready in summer. It isn't crucial if he's in the squad in autumn, November or March," the Italian told L'Equipe newspaper.
Ancelotti caused local debate last month by allegedly attempting to protect Neymar, claiming the star had been omitted from the team over physical condition issues.
But then Neymar himself contradicted this, saying he "was excluded for technical reasons; it has no connection to 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 win the World Cup is left out for performance issues, clearly issues exist," Cafu commented.
Is a Ronaldo-style comeback possible for Neymar?
Studies from Datafolha found that Brazilians are divided over whether Neymar should be selected for his fourth World Cup.
With his record tally, Neymar is Brazil's historical leading marksman, but he hasn't helped his case much with his behaviour on the pitch either.
He seems increased agitation than normal, having argued with fans on several occasions in venues - it happened in three consecutive matches in July.
The following month, the forward was left in tears after Santos suffered a 6-0 loss at home by Vasco da Gama - the heaviest defeat of his career.
When questioned by a journalist about his fitness condition in a post-match interview, he also lost his patience: "Again with this, friend? I've answered this repeatedly already."
The same kind of question has been posed to his parent representative Neymar Sr as well.
"Neymar's plan was to spend a limited period at Santos. To what end? To recover. If Neymar was able to feature, so be it," he previously explained, causing outrage among followers.
There's remaining optimism, however, that Neymar's prime period aren't over and that he will be able to resurrect his form the same way forward Ronaldo "Fenômeno" did in 2002 to overcome criticism and physical setbacks to lead Brazil to the World Cup title.
The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend notes similarities.
"He's a crucial player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo stated during a recent event with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an exaggeration from a minority who believe he's disregarding his physical recovery.
Anyone who have been in football recognize fully how challenging it is to recover from an injury and regain rhythm and confidence. He's right on track."
The Brazilian forward has a important timeframe ahead to show that he's not the prince who stepped away from greatness.