Brazil's Unquestioned Superstar? Neymar's World Cup Countdown Challenge
As Ousmane Dembele claimed the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was receiving treatment for his latest physical setback of the year - simultaneously engaging in an online poker tournament.
The 33-year-old football star eventually placed as second place, earning around seventy-three thousand pounds in tournament winnings.
It was partial comfort on a day when he had to watch the player who previously succeeded him at Barcelona lift the award he had consistently dreamed to win.
After returning to his boyhood club Santos in January, the 33-year-old forward has failed to live up to expectations, attracting more attention for comparable situations than for his football.
His homecoming after a dozen campaigns away was intended as a chance for him to return to peak condition and, crucially, rekindle a passion for the game that seemed lost after disappointing periods with PSG and the Saudi club.
Conversely, it has been widely disappointing for all parties involved.
This reflects the situation that the main question being asked right now in Brazil is if Neymar will participate in the upcoming global tournament.
He's running out of time.
"All players have to demonstrate that they are fit. The clock is ticking [for him]," 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao commented in his newspaper column.
On Wednesday, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti announced his squad for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan and, yet again, Neymar was not in it.
"O Principe", as he was dubbed when received 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 continues to be an injury doubt for the autumn fixtures, which, in the worst scenario, will leave him with only two exhibition games in March 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 undisputed star, carrying enormous expectations on his own," Brazilian icon Cafu remarked.
"But nobody wins the World Cup alone. Putting all our hopes on him at the moment is difficult because he struggles to even play three games in a row."
'If Neymar is left out for technical reasons, something isn't right'
Not just has Neymar had multiple fitness issues since his homecoming - he's missed nearly half of Santos' matches this season - but, when he was able to play, he was a far cry from the player who during his peak competed with the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese icon.
Of his several attacking returns 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 goal and two assists versus Inter de Limeira, all in the regional competition.
As Santos fight relegation in the Brazilian first tier, the playmaker no longer seems to be the game-changer he once was.
Nevertheless, 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 autumn, late autumn or March," the Italian told French media.
Ancelotti stirred local debate last month by reportedly trying to protect Neymar, stating the star had been omitted from the team over fitness concerns.
But then Neymar himself disputed it, saying he "was excluded for tactical decisions; it has nothing to do with my physical condition."
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, obviously there's a problem," Cafu observed.
Can Neymar follow Ronaldo's 2002 example?
Polls from a leading polling institute found that the Brazilian public are split over whether Neymar should be called up for his fourth World Cup.
With his record tally, 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 greater frustration than usual, having exchanged words with fans on several occasions in stadiums - it happened in successive games in mid-year.
The following month, the striker was emotional after Santos endured a 6-0 loss at home by their rivals - the heaviest defeat of his professional life.
When questioned by a reporter about his physical state in a post-match interview, he showed irritation: "This topic again, 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 anger among fans.
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 "Phenomenon" did in 2002 to surmount skepticism and injuries to lead Brazil to the World Cup title.
The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend observes comparisons.
"He's a vital player for Brazil - there's no one else like Neymar," Ronaldo declared during a recent appearance with the forward in the Brazilian city.
"It's an misrepresentation from a small group who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery.
Those who have been in football understand completely how challenging it is to return from an injury and restore form and self-belief. He's right on track."
The Santos star has a critical period ahead to demonstrate that he's not the prince who abandoned the throne.
