🔗 Share this article The Brazilian Undisputed Star? Neymar's Global Tournament Race Against Time While Ousmane Dembele claimed the prestigious football award in late September, Neymar was lying in bed for his latest physical setback of the year - simultaneously engaging in an virtual card tournament. The 33-year-old Brazilian ace eventually placed as runner-up, collecting around £73,800 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. After coming back to his boyhood club Santos in the new year, the experienced attacker has fallen short of expectations, attracting more attention for comparable situations than for his on-field performances. His return home after a dozen campaigns away was meant to be a chance for him to return to peak condition and, most importantly, rekindle a love of football that seemed lost after frustrating spells with PSG and Al Hilal. Instead, it has been largely underwhelming for each stakeholder. This reflects the situation that the key issue being asked right now in Brazil is if Neymar will make it to the upcoming global tournament. He's facing a deadline. "All players have to prove that they are ready. The deadline approaches [for him]," Brazilian legend Tostao stated in his newspaper column. On Wednesday, Brazil manager the Italian tactician revealed his team selection 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 king Pele, is still awaiting his debut under Ancelotti, having been missing from the national team for 24 months. He also remains an fitness concern for the November games, 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 announcement of the final list 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 no one wins the World Cup alone. Placing all our expectations on him at the present time is challenging because he struggles 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 return to Brazil - he's been absent for nearly half of Santos' matches this season - but, when he was able to play, he was a distant from the player who during his zenith rivaled the Argentine maestro and Cristiano Ronaldo. Of his several attacking returns so far, five have come against teams from divisions below Brazil's first division - a scoring contribution against Agua Santa, followed by a three goal involvements versus Inter de Limeira, all in the Sao Paulo State Championship. 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 aim must be to be prepared in summer. It doesn't matter if he's in the squad in autumn, late autumn or spring," the coach told French media. Ancelotti stirred local controversy last month by reportedly trying to shield Neymar, suggesting the star had been omitted from the team over physical condition issues. 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 placed all our hopes on to win the World Cup is left out for performance issues, obviously issues exist," Cafu observed. Will Neymar be capable of emulating Ronaldo in 2002? Studies from a leading polling institute found that Brazilians are split over whether Neymar should be called up for his next global tournament. With his record tally, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer, but he hasn't helped his case much with his conduct during matches either. He seems greater frustration than usual, having confronted fans repeatedly in venues - it happened in three consecutive matches in mid-year. The following month, the striker was reduced to crying after Santos endured a 6-0 home defeat by their rivals - the worst result of his career. When asked by a journalist about his physical state in a post-match interview, he also lost his patience: "Again with this, mate? I've responded to this repeatedly already." The similar query has been posed to his father and agent Neymar Sr as well. "Neymar's intention was to remain for a limited period at Santos. To what end? To recover. If Neymar managed to play, so be it," he previously explained, causing anger among followers. There's remaining optimism, however, that Neymar's best days haven't ended and that he will be able to revive his career the same way forward Ronaldo "Fenômeno" did in the 2002 World Cup to overcome criticism and injuries to lead Brazil to the championship trophy. The Brazilian great sees comparisons. "He's a vital player for Brazil - there's nobody like Neymar," Ronaldo declared during a recent appearance with the forward in the Brazilian city. "It's an exaggeration from a minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery. Anyone who have been in football recognize fully how challenging it is to recover from an injury and restore form and self-belief. He's progressing well." The Santos star has a few decisive months ahead to prove that he's not the heir who stepped away from greatness.